A Promise and Forever
by otakunurse
Summary: *SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT FINISHED THE SERIES* When Aiko has to research about Lelouch vi Brittania, will she remember the promise that her soul uttered more than twenty years before?
1. Chapter 1

So, this is my very first fanfiction ever.  
Any constructive critisicsm would be greatly appreciated, as would any suggestions to what you would like  
to happen further along in the story. I have made it T just in case I decide to put something a little more mature,  
but as of this moment there will be no lemon. However, things can always change so that is always an option. Thanks for reading!**  
***Disclaimer*** I do not own any of the characters or such in Code Geass, unfortunately. **

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Aiko stretched. Class was finally over for the holidays, the only international, non-religious holiday: Liberation Day, the day that the tyrant Lelouch vi Britannia was killed by Zero. Kids poured out of the classrooms, unable to wait for the sweet freedom that awaited them. Well, at least for a week.

"´bout time class let out!" Conner exclaimed. He looked at Aiko, grinning. "What are you going to do for the break, Aiko?"

"Well…" the brunette said playfully, walking out of the classroom and towards the exit, followed by her group of friends. "The beach sounds absolutely lovely!"

"Lovely? What are we, like, in England?" said Eirian incredulously.

"England?" asked Luis. "Sto-"

"Aiko!" a tall blond called. "So what did you get as a topic for our Liberation Day Project?"

"Guh! Why'd you have to remind me, Claire?" Aiko groaned. "I would like to enjoy the week we have off from school for at _least_ a _few_ seconds!" Aiko sighed.

"I got Princess Cornelia! She was so pretty and such a great warrior!" cried Eirian.

"I have to analyze the whole movement and how the Black Knights worked and why their ideals caught on…" listed Conner.

"… So your topic is, very simply put, the Black Knights," Claire stated, rolling her eyes. Conner smiled sheepishly.

"I got Li Xingke, who I think is totally awesome and cool," Luis said. "I might even say that he is the best warrior ever."

"I beg to differ," Eirian started, "Just in the Lelouch rebellion Suzaku Kururugi and Kallen Stadtfeld, or by her preferred name, Kouzuki, were just as good of pilots, if not better than-"

"You just say that ´cuz she's your mother," Luis retorted.

"W-What!" she exclaimed. "Why you-! How dare you! I say it because it's the truth! You can ask anyone!"

"Oh no…" Aiko groaned. "Here they go again…. You two should just go ahead and come out and say it…"

Conner nodded. "Everyone knows you two like each other. You two fight like an old couple. Just get it over with."

Everyone else agreed while Eirian and Luis turned a tomato red.

"Changing the subject," Claire began, "who or what did you get, Aiko?"

Aiko sighed. "I got Lelouch vi Britannia…."

"Wow!" Luis cried.

"You got an easy one…. There's so much information on him plus so many people you can talk to…" Eirian said.

"You just say that ´cuz your mom knew him…" Luis said, dodging her punch.

"YOU! Just because you're a twit and a lazy good for- UGH! I'm not even going to start!" Eirian fumed.

"Speaking of twit, who's the one from England now?" Conner teased. Claire and Aiko laughed.

"Which reminds me," said Luis, "Eirian, you can't go making up the names of countries just to confuse us! I mean, come on! I'm not stupid enough to think that there is a country named England!"

Aiko sighed, yet again, something that he seemed to make her do a lot. "No, Luis," she began, "England-"

"-was a country that was part of what was called Great Britain before it became the Great Britannian Empire and took over most of the world," said a tall, raven haired boy.

Conner narrowed his eyes and looked away while Eirian simply turned her head, as if she had suddenly developed ADD and focused very hard on a baby squirrel attempting to open a nut.

"O-oh! I… didn't see you there, Tristan…" Aiko began, trying to remain composed, unwilling to show him anything other than control.

"Hmmm," he simply stated, sounding and looking bored. "I just felt that, maybe if someone outside of your little group were to show him how much of an idiot he really is, then he might change and do the world a favor by actually thinking before he speaks." He paused. "Or better yet, if he didn't talk at all."

"Why you son of a-" Luis began, about to explode. Conner grabbed a hold of his arm, shaking his head when Luis turned to look at him. Eirian´s cheeks colored an angry pink, but she remained focused on the squirrel which was now being attacked by a small bird.

"So, why are you here, Tristan," Claire stated, wanting his obviously unwanted presence to be gone as soon as possible. "You don't talk to others unless you have to."

"Very true," he agreed. "I was sent by Honda-sensei to… fetch you," he said turning to Aiko with a coy smile.

Aiko gave a little squeak. "M-me? Are you sure?" She began to get nervous. She hadn't done anything to get in trouble, at least not to her knowledge.

"There is no other Aiko in our class, so yes, you," Tristan said, amused by her reaction.

_I haven't done anything!_ Aiko thought as she walked off with Tristan towards her sensei's room without looking back at her friends. _Wait!_ She thought, breaking into a cold sweat. _What if this is about me letting Luis copy my work? I don't want to get in trouble!_ She started sweating profusely and began fidgeting with the end of her uniform's navy blazer.

Tristan chuckled. Aiko looked up, startled from her nervous thoughts.

"W-what's so funny?" Aiko asked nervously.

"Your reaction to this situation," Tristan commented. "It's very much unexpected. There is no reason for you to be nervous. At least, there shouldn't be."

"W-w-we-well…. I…." she let her head fall, looking at the ground. "I did let… Luis copy my work once… I told him that he shouldn't!" she added. "He just looked so helpless! He couldn't have another missing homework, so…" she trailed off.

Tristan laughed, completely catching her off guard. Laughing in front of others just wasn't done by Tristan. She looked up and was stunned. His face looked completely different when he laughed. It didn't look like he felt alone and therefore hated everything and everyone. He looked…. breathtaking.

Aiko quickly looked away, a light pink beginning to tinge her cheeks. She felt as if she had stolen a glimpse of something personal that she shouldn't have. Lucky for her, they were already at the open door of the classroom.

"Come in," Mr. Honda called from his desk "Sit down."

Aiko and Tristan sat down in desks directly in front of his, waiting for him to finish rustling through some papers.

When he was finally done, he set his spectacles down and looked at them with kind eyes. "I don't know if you two have already found out, but a few students with certain topics are going to be working together due to so much information to cover, like those with The Black Knights and you two with Lelouch vi Britannia. Except," he continued, "since you both have him, I would like you both to research him as vi Britannia, Lamperouge, and Zero, including the controversy surrounding his death. This will be hard work since there is so much information. You two will present last and will have a lot more time to present your findings. I have no doubt that you two will do perfectly well in this project since you two are the most exceptional students of my classes. For others, I have split him into three parts, but again, I think you two can handle it." He leaned forward, as if he were about to give confidential information. "And don't tell anyone," he added, "but this project isn't due until, at soonest, a week after break. So don't stress out too much." He then waved them off with one hand as he began to shuffle through the multiple papers that littered his desk.

They got up and bowed, leaving silently.  
The sun was approaching the horizon, something that surprised Aiko. She hadn't thought that Mr. Honda had talked that long. She sighed, mentally preparing herself for the lonely journey home on the metro and on the streets to her house.

"It's getting dark," Tristan stated.

"I hadn't noticed," Aiko said sarcastically. If she got a taxi, she wouldn't be walking all by herself in the dark. She groaned. Her choosing factor would be whether she could afford a taxi all the way home.

"Where do you live, Aiko?" Tristan asked, almost indifferently.

She rolled her eyes. _As if you care._"I live in Atsugi, why?"

Tristan looked surprised. "Wow… That's in the Kanagawa prefecture. I thought I was the only one that traveled from that distance to Kawasaki, much less from Atsugi."

"Really? You're from Atsugi?" she asked, flooding with relief. She may not have to get a cab, or at least be alone, even if it was with Mr. Sour Face.

"I'm actually from Ebina," he amended, "but I can walk you the rest of the way home. That way you won't have to be alone."

"I can't possibly make you do that!" Aiko exclaimed. He didn't have to be that nice, just taking that train home part of the way with her would be enough.

"It won't take me more than half an hour to and from if I walk really slowly. It's a walk able distance," Tristan said. He looked at her as if she couldn't complain. But she could, and she would complain, all the way home.

"Will you get in trouble?" she asked, unsure if she wanted him to or not.

"I shouldn't," he said, "especially if I call first."

"But there's a possibility that you may get in trouble…" Aiko pressed.

"…. Yes," he confirmed, unsure what she was getting at.

"Good," Aiko said, nodding. "Then let's go!"

She began walking out of the school gates, followed by a chuckling Tristan.

He quickly caught up to her and walked next to her, taking long and almost lazy steps. They were silent, a silence which Aiko began noticing was becoming a little uncomfortable.

"So… I'm kind of glad you live close to me…" Aiko admitted. Tristan stared at her, surprised that she would admit something like that to him, considering that they really never talk, and only a handful of people that talked to him didn't hate him.

Aiko quickly looked at the houses they were passing, turning pink; embarrassed that she had said it out loud. She had, however, started the topic, so there was no turning back.

"Well… it's just that…" she stammered, "I really hate going home by myself since it takes more than an hour and a half… and especially in the dark."

"Well…" Tristan began, "The sun is only just now starting to touch the horizon, and it shouldn't take you that long to Atsugi."

"Well, excuse me if it takes me twenty minutes to get to the train station," Aiko said, only teasing. "Some of us aren't as tall as you."

"Please," he began, "I do not enjoy flattery." Aiko turned pink and then she turned even redder when he chuckled, very clearly making fun of her.

"You simply take the JR Yokohama Line from the 'hama to Machida, then switch to Odakyu or alternatively if you'd prefer, the Sotetsu from the 'hama to Ebina and switch to Odakyu there. It'll be the next stop. It's not that hard," he explained, a teasing glint in his eye.

"Wow…" she said, astonished that she didn't already know this. "How do you know?"

"I _do _live in Ebina," Tristan said, as if speaking to someone who was a little slow. "Plus, I have family there."

"Oh," was all that Aiko could say. _What a lame response,_ she said, mentally abusing herself.

They quickly got on the train which had no where near as many people as they were used to, as they were able to find seats. However, Aiko was forced to sit close to Tristan, in order to allow others to get on.

"So, how are we going to work on this project?" Aiko asked, switching to a safe subject that shouldn't involve icky things like feelings.

"Well, we should probably interview someone that knew him, and you are a close friend of Eirian Kouzuki, whose mother happens to be the closest person to him within our reach," he said, "seeing as we can't rightly go up to Viceroy Nunnally and ask her personally."

"Hmm…" Aiko thought out loud, "what if we could get in contact with her? The Viceroy and Ms. Kouzuki have been friends since before Zero, ever since she met her when she met Lelouch at Ashford Academy, and they've only gotten closer after his death…"

"That would almost be too good to be true," he said, thinking, "We should definitely try to get in contact with as many people who knew him personally as either commoner, prince, or revolutionary-"

"I like that," Aiko said.

"Like what?" Tristan asked, confused.

"´Commoner, Prince, Revolutionary´," she clarified. "I think that our project would sound great if we made that the title of it. It shows his many sides, not his well known tyranny."

"You almost sound as if you respect his methods and what he did," Tristan stated, prodding.

"Well…" she hesitated. This was something that she hadn't even shared with Eirian, her best friend. "I…. I don't know… I feel like… he was mostly misunderstood. Like the reason behind what he did, was so much more than everyone knows…." She trailed off into a thoughtful silence, looking out at the racing buildings passing by the window.

The sunset was beginning to light the sky with pinks and oranges, even though it was only 7 o'clock.  
She felt Tristan's gaze on her and she looked down, embarrassed out of her stupor. She peeked at him from her behind her hair, and looked back down, intimidated by his intense gaze. She felt her blood rush to her face.

"… You know," Tristan said quietly, "You and I don't seem all that different. At least we seem to think…. Similarly."

Aiko looked up at him, feeling her face flush red. She couldn't take her eyes off him. It was as if she recognized his face as that of a loved one. It felt as if something inside of her had figured something out that she hadn't yet, something that was very important. They stared at each other for what seemed like a lifetime, but at the same time no longer than a sigh.

Tristan looked away, shaking his head a little, as if trying to understand something. "We… We get off on the next stop. We should start getting up. We're almost there."

Aiko nodded at him, still dazed by whatever had just happened. For a second, she could have sworn that he was going to kiss her, and she knew that had he tried, she would not have stopped him.

The rest of the way they talked of nothing, strictly staying on school and how graduation was in about a year. They did not stray to personal feelings or other topics that might lead to another, if nothing else, strange moment. However, once they switched trains for the last time, they quickly fell silent, each in their own thoughts.

Even though they did not return to the topic of what they each thought about Lelouch, Aiko could not stop thinking about it. It was as if that conversation had opened, no, freed something that should have been freed a long time ago. It made her nonsensically happy, ecstatic even. She looked out the window, the light halfway gone. The landscape blurred together.

"_We'll atone for our sins! We have to! I'll die with you!"  
Blurred images, a train, a man, a girl holding a gun at a frantic boy.  
"She shot the person who saw your face. All to protect your little secret."  
Confusion, guilt, malice. A man in a white trench coat is enjoying himself, his manipulation of life.  
Frantic talking, attempts to persuade, so much confusion. A gunshot. Pictures fall out of the boy's jacket, important pictures.  
More persuasion, more confusion, pain. Another gunshot.  
The man in white leaves, entering the train. Her legs give in, darkness, a warm embrace. A name is shouted. The train leaves. The boy and the girl are alone. So much confusion and pain and guilt. Death stains the girl's hands, she can't handle it. Comforting, more guilt, guilt for having attempted to kill the boy, her life, her love.  
More pain, tears, a flash of red. Forgetting, no more pain.  
"Oh! Did you lose someone from your family, too?" the girl asks the boy, a stranger.  
"No, not someone from my family. It was a friend. Someone… well, very… important."  
"I understand."  
"But I didn't know. I didn't know until after I lost her. Then I realized how much she meant to me. How her smile saved me. And how I'll never be able to argue or laugh with her like that again…"  
"I see. You loved her didn't you? You must feel terrible."  
"Right now… I don't… know anymore."  
"Well the morning always comes again…"  
The boy turns, sadness, tragedy.  
"Thanks, a lot. For everything."_

"Are you okay? Hey!"

Aiko opened her eyes to the worried face of Tristan.

"D-did… Did I fall asleep?" she asked, slowly straightening up, she noticed that she had been in Tristan's arms, and blushed.

"Yes, but are you all right? What happened?" he asked, looking genuinely worried.

"I'm fine," she said bringing her hands up to her eyes. "I didn't even realize that-" She brought her hands in front of her face, startled by the tears she saw. How could she have been crying? She couldn't even remember what she had dreamt…

"You started crying, quietly at first," Tristan explained, "then you started sobbing… and then… it was as if you lost someone dear to you… I have been trying to wake you up for a while, but…" He trailed off, looking away. "The more I called your name… when you fell asleep, your head fell on my shoulder, and then once you started sobbing, you grabbed on to me… as if you would drown if you let go…"

Aiko glanced at the front of his blazer, seeing her tear marks trail from his shoulder and arm down the front of it.

He quickly grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her up as the train came to a stop. She then noticed that the few people that remained on the train were staring at them. She ducked her head, embarrassed that it had not only inconvenienced Tristan, but that it had also brought the attention of everyone else.

"I-I!" Aiko stammered as they made their way out of the train station. "I'm very sorry! I'm sorry that I inconvenienced you so much! And put you in an uncomfortable situation in front of so many people!"

"Don't worry about it," he said, still holding on to her arm, leading her out of the station.

She was overcome with embarrassment, unable to keep walking. She stopped once they had crossed the street from the station.

"I..." she hung her head.

"Where do you live?" Tristan asked, not turning to see Aiko.

"I live about ten blocks from here..." Aiko could not help but feel even more mortified since he still planned to take her home.

"Then we better start walking," he said, "The sun has set and I need to get home."

They walked five blocks, completely silent, until they both simultaneously realized that he still held on to her wrist. Tristan quickly let go, apologizing without looking at her in the face. All Aiko could do was blush furiously.

"I-it's okay..." Aiko said, trying to sound indifferent, "I didn't mind... Umm," she began after the uncomfortable silence, "You can just leave me here so that you don't get home too late..."

With that she began walking, ignoring the surprised and confused questions that Tristan asked. She kept walking quickly, almost jogging, for two blocks. She then stopped to catch her breath. The truth was that she just didn't know how to react to everything that was happening to her. Was it her hormones going crazy? She had almost hated the guy until today. Of course, she hadn't every really talked to him... She continued walking, at a much normal pace now that she couldn't hear his footsteps behind her.

She sighed. After the whole humiliation, she had forgotten to ask for his number and when and where they would meet to start the project. Oh well, at least she knew that she needed to call Eirian as soon as she got home to see if her mother was willing be interviewed over such a touchy subject.

"Hey sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Aiko looked up, looking around for the person who had called to someone, possibly herself.

"Yeah, you sweet cheeks," said a guy wearing tight jeans and a wife beater underneath a cropped black jacket. He was surrounded by more guys of varying ages dressed in a similar fashion. "Why does someone as pretty as you look so sad?"

"Uh, no reason..." Aiko said tentatively. She didn't know him or any of the guys that were with him. She kept walking, not caring if she was being a little rude. She braced herself as she walked by them, telling herself that this wasn't a bad place and that she was just being paranoid.

The man grabbed her arm, leering. "Come on, girl," he began, a horrible glint in his eyes, "You can't lie to me. I'm the king of lying. Come with us. We'll make you feel all better."

Before Aiko could react, she felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder.  
"I'm glad to see that this man was so worried about you," she heard Tristan say behind her. "I am indebted to such a chivalrous man." The man let go of Aiko's arm. "But now that she has welcome company she will be fine- that is to say, she is now with familiar company, I do not mean to offend," Tristan added, almost mockingly.

The other man narrowed his eyes. "What's she to you? I saw her first."

"Hmm..." Tristan thought aloud, "That almost sounds as if you're talking about a possession and not another human being. Well, if you shall treat her such, then I will treat you the same in return." Tristan gently nudged Aiko forward, moving his hand to her back and his other to her right arm. The man spit at Tristan. "Oh, it seems the stray dog has rabies. I suppose it should be put to sleep."

Aiko stopped breathing. The threat stood in the air, but Tristan kept walking, at a quick pace. So stunned was the other man that he stood there speechless. Tristan leaned in close to Aiko's ear.

"When I tell you, run," he said in a barely audible whisper. She nodded lamely, dumbfounded by the situation that she now found herself in.

"Why you lousy son of a bitch!" They heard the man yell from behind them, followed by further insults. They heard running.

"Run," he whispered.

Aiko ran as fast as she could, not looking back. _He's a thinker not an athlete!_ she thought suddenly. _Even if he were one, there's too many of them! He'll be beaten to death by the whole group! But what can I do? I'll just get in his way!_ She stopped running. _I have to at least try. _She turned back, running back to where Tristan was. She stopped halfway, amazed by what she was seeing. Mr. non-athletic Sour Face knew some sort of martial art, what looked to Aiko like kung fu, but different. He would hit them in a few similar places and they would fall, not beaten, but weakened.

She stood there, awestruck, until one of them went at Tristan from behind. She threw the first thing that came to her mind: her shoe. The man turned around and lunged at her. She yelled and Tristan immediately hit him.

In fifteen minutes, the whole thing was over with, minimal scrapes obtained on their side. They very thoughtfully moved the men to a sitting position against the wall, all very clearly unconscious.

They started walking and not even a block away Aiko started to laugh.

"What's the matter?" Tristan asked, confused.

"It's just that I didn't know that you could fight, much less like that!" she answered, still smiling.

"And that's funny to you?" Tristan asked, raising his eyebrows. "You have a strange sense of humor."

"I didn't mean it as an offense it's just that…" she hesitated. "Well, you're mostly a brain person and you don't seem very athletic… or able to… do things like that…"

"I understand what you mean," Tristan said with amusement. "My father says the same thing. He was glad that I decided to study Kuttu Varisai, and even more proud when they began to teach me Varma Kalai, but he always noted that I don't seem the type. My mother says it must be a lesson I learned in a past life that I do not wish to have to learn again in this life…" He laughed, remembering these conversations.

"Umm…. What are Kuttu Virai and Varma Kaila?" Aiko asked, feeling stupid.

"It's Kuttu Varisai and Varma Kalai, and they're an Indian Martial Arts," he explained, smilingly. "Kuttu Varisai is similar in style to kung fu while Varma Kalai is a more advanced form of the Kuttu Varisai which focuses on hitting the opponent in their pressure points. I figured that if I was going to study martial arts, this would be the most appropriate for me."

Aiko was silent, letting this information sink in.

"And why are they more suited for you than others?" she asked, thinking out loud.

"Well, as you have obviously stated, I am not the athletic type," he began. Aiko blushed, remembering her unintended insult. "And to be truthful, physical activity is not the easiest thing for me. However, I figured that I can't simply rely on my brains if I can't defend myself when my brains fail."

"True," Aiko said, "It is best to have both brain and brawn." She laughed quietly, Tristan chuckling softly beside her.

"So…" Aiko began. "I guess this is where we part…"

Tristan looked at the house that they now stood in front of. "You live here on your own?"

"Yeah," she said, happily. "It's small and cozy. It used to belong to my grandmother, but when she passed away she left it to me."

"It's amazing that a house of Japanese style managed to survive the Britannian Era," Tristan commented.

"Yeah..." she trailed off, thinking about the history that her house had seen.

"So I think we should get together tomorrow, but where would you like to meet?" Tristan asked.

"Well," Aiko began, blushing at the way that he phrased it. "Well, since you live close by, why don't we meet at your house?" She just thought it fair that she saw where he lived.

"Or what if I meet you here, since I already know where it is?" he said, raising an eyebrow teasingly. "Is 10 o'clock alright for you?"

She could do nothing but comply. "That's fine." She smiled.

They said their goodbyes and she walked into her house, noting that Tristan didn't leave until she turned on her kitchen light. _He is a lot more of a gentleman than I thought he'd be,_ she thought.


	2. Chapter 2

I´d like to thank all of you for staying with this story. I really appreciate it. *bows***  
Extra Author´s note:** From here on out it will change perspectives between Aiko, Tristan and those around them, although it should stay mostly Aiko.  
It will be obvious, yet subtle I hope, so I don´t think anyone should get confused.  
If anyone does, please let me know and I shall fix it as soon as possible.**  
****Disclaimer**** I do not own any songs by Adriana Calcanhoto nor do I own Code Geass or any of the characters in the series.**

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"WHAT?" came an astounded voice from the other end of the receiver. Aiko held the phone away from her ear, waiting for Eirian to calm down. She cautiously brought the phone back up to her ear, cringing when Eirian began to talk again.

"You ditched us to spend time with your knight in shining armor Mr. Sour-Face?"

"It´s not like that!" Aiko tried to explain. "It turned out that way because Honda-sensei ended up talking to us forever. He only walked me home because he lives close by to me and-"

"HA!" came Eirian´s sarcastic reply. "You do know where he actually lives, right?"

"… Yeah, in Edina…" Aiko trailed off at Eirian´s scoff.

"Is that what he told you?" she asked. "Well," she went on without waiting for a reply, "He actually lives in Yokohama, so he went TOTALLY out of his way to take you home."

Aiko stood there, holding her cell phone to her ear lamely, shocked to learn that he lived so close to Kawasaki and therefore so far from Atsugi.

"B-but!"

"But nothing," Eirian said, "Looks like a certain Mr. Sour-Face has the hots for a certain little friend of mine." Eirian laughed at the uncomfortable silence that Aiko somehow emitted from the phone.

"I-I!" Aiko said, totally caught off guard by her friend's deduction and further more shocked by the nonsensical pleasure that that comment caused within her. "It's more like he's a gentleman! I mean, he didn't leave until he was sure that I was okay!"

"This is the same guy that very openly mocked and humiliated Luis in front of all of us, remember?" Eirian said. "That he was acting the gentleman is a different story."

"He wasn't just acting!" Aiko said, frustrated that she couldn't convey all the little things she had noticed about him that evening. "It's just that since we never talk to him, we never see that side of him!"

"Hey! Calm down," Eirian told her. "Why are you getting so defensive?" Aiko heard her gasp. "Could it be that you like Mr. Sour-Face?"

"I-it's! It's just that he's been so kind to me today!"

"Yes, going about two hours out of his way to make sure you get home safe is a very kind act on his part, but hardly enough to make you feel obligated to stand up for him."

"No, but possibly saving my life is," Aiko said, quickly briefing Eirian up on the man that grabbed her arm.

"Wait," Eirian said, confused, "Why were you alone in the first place."  
Aiko sighed and explained everything that happened on the train and outside of the train station.

"Wow…" Eirian said, awed. "Maybe he isn't the horrible guy we thought he was… and maybe that's why you've started to like him." Aiko squeaked in protest. "I mean," Eirian continued, ignoring Aiko, "He was… a completely different person around you. He was almost understanding and compassionate!" she said incredulously. "Well, you have my blessings and I better get an invitation!"

"W-w-w-WHAT?" Aiko squeaked, startled by her friend's hasty judgment. "He-he-h-he doesn't e-even like me!"

"Oh naïve little Aiko," chided Eirian teasingly. "Whatever would you do without me? This has been destined by the fates! Of all the people you could have been paired up with, who would have thought that it would be with the first guy that truly interests you, much less it being Tristan!" Aiko turned a cherry red, slightly pleased by the thought that she saw Eirian attempting to put into her head. "I'll let you know my predictions, which are _always_ true-", Aiko sighed, agreeing with her, "-after I actually see you two together, but it has to be sometime during the week, not this weekend."

"Why?" Aiko asked, confused by her friend's answer. She would have thought that Eirian would be anxious to see them together for herself, if for nothing else her curiosity.

Eirian giggled. "Are you anxious for what I've to say?" Aiko turned a deeper shade of red, an almost impossible feat. "Well, the chances are," Eirian explained, "that you two are going to have to be working a lot together during the weekend and the entire break since you two got a topic with SO MUCH to do. Soooo…" Eirian said giggling, "this means that you two will spend a whole bunch of time together…"

"I… I-I hadn't ever thought about it like that…." Aiko said, the lie very plain on her lips.

"You lie through your teeth!" Eirian said, giggling. "Anyway, I'll ask my mom about you and Tristan interviewing her. I have to go now, otherwise my mother will come in here yelling about me being on the phone until midnight and how I could use my time for something productive. If I get off now, I can say it's ten minutes ´till midnight, and therefore not as bad in her mind." She laughed.

"Alright," Aiko said laughing, secretly relieved. "Good night."

"Good night and I'll call you sometime this weekend letting you know."  
Aiko hung up, falling onto her bed, and fell asleep immediately.

_Can you hear me? called her soul.  
Do you remember me?  
I most certainly remember you.  
Do you remember the promise I made to you, my love?  
I very much would like to show you that I still remember that promise which I made with you to last forever.  
If you would have me,  
Remember me…  
I do not even ask you to love me…  
Just…Please…  
Remember what we once had…  
Remember me  
Remember us_

Aiko awoke, crying. The morning light streamed through her open window. She groggily sat up, noting that she fell asleep in her clothes. She stretched, wiping the tears from her eyes. She could remember this dream, unlike the one she had when she fell asleep in the train. That one had made no sense; it simply confused her and left her without a clue about what that dream meant or was about. She yawned, picking up her phone, and checked the time. It read 9:30 am.

"Holy Mother of God!" she yelled, jumping up from her bed. She still had to shower and get ready! She ran to the bathroom and took a shower, scrubbing hard so that she wouldn't feel the need to scrub twice.

_I could wear a pretty sundress…_ she thought to herself while rinsing. _Crap!_ Wearing a sundress would require her to shave, therefore demanding more time of her, but she couldn't imagine herself wearing _jeans._ That thought horrified her. She quickly grabbed her razor from the medicine cabinet and shaved, praying that he would be a little late. She quickly finished and went to turn on her blow dryer, thanking God that her hair didn't take forever to dry.

Halfway through drying her hair she heard her door bell ring.  
"C-COMING!" she yelled, frantically finishing up her hair, not caring that it wasn't completely dry. _I'll just have to put some anti-frizz in it before I go_, she thought leaving the restroom.

"Oh, sorry I'm a little-" Tristan began until he saw Aiko in nothing but a towel.

They stood there, shocked into stillness until Tristan turned away, beet red, apologizing. "I-I'm so sorry!" he said, completely giving her his back. "I-I heard you say `come in` a-and the door was unlocked-"

Aiko didn't wait to hear the end of his apology. She quickly ran into her room, shutting the door. She was passed being humiliated. She glanced at the time on her cell phone. It said 10:10. She hadn't meant to take that long! He had been late and she still wasn't ready!

She quickly got dressed, put her hair half-way up hastily with a hair clip. She expertly put on mascara and a neutral lip gloss. She thanked God, for what seemed the hundredth time that morning that she had planned out what she would wear while in the shower.

She checked herself one more time in the mirror, grabbed her matching purse and cell, and left her bedroom. She found Tristan standing awkwardly in the foyer, still red from before. She quickly glanced at her cell phone. _Wow, this is a new record_, she thought. _10:18, I can now officially say that I am not high maintenance._

"U-umm…" Tristan began, "I'm sorry about seeing you…. Earlier…"

"Haha," Aiko said, trying to laugh it off. Her cheeks began to turn red, betraying her nonchalant laugh. "It was my fault for over sleeping…"

They stood in her foyer awkwardly, not knowing what to do next.

"Well," Tristan said, clearing his throat, "I know a café nearby where we can eat breakfast…"

"Oh!" Aiko said, glad that there was now something neutral to talk about. "That sounds great! But I should probably grab a notebook and pens so that we can start working on our project." With that, she quickly ran into her living room, bringing back with her an organizer filled with paraphernalia that might be needed to accomplish the day's task.

"Okay!" she said, smiling. "Ready."

The café was cozy and cute, a café that Aiko took note of so that she could come back at a later date. They were escorted to a small, two person table next to a window.

"Wow," Aiko said, flipping through the menu, "This is not even fifteen minutes away from my house and I hadn't even known it was here!"

"To be honest," Tristan said, "I saw it on my way to your house this morning." He chuckled.

Aiko was filled with unease, remembering what Eirian had said the night before. For him to have seen this on his way to her house, he would have had to've been coming from somewhere south, not east, where Edina was. Somewhere south like Yohohama.

Aiko fidgeted. "I thought you lived in Edina," she tentatively said.

"My uncle called me on my way to your house this morning, which is why I was late," Tristan said without hesitation.

"You're lying to me," Aiko stated. She trusted Eirian with her life, so she knew that what she had told her was true.

Tristan remained quiet. Aiko looked down, not knowing how to keep going with this, or why it mattered so much to her.

"Hi, my name is Amber; I'll be your waitress this morning. Are you ready to order? If not I can go ahead and get you something to drink," said a red haired woman who looked about their age.

"I'll have a spinach and cheese omelet with orange juice, please," Aiko said, somewhat glad that their conversation was interrupted.

"And you, sir?" said the waitress, a little more enthusiastically. Aiko felt herself grow jealous, her face turning a light pink. She quickly busied herself by looking out the window, feigning disinterest.

"I'll just have an espresso, thank you," Tristan said, smiling at the waitress, making Aiko even more jealous. She felt stupid for feeling that.

"Coming right up," she said, giggling.

Aiko was disgusted. Who did that little wench think she was? He was very clearly there with her so why try to make a move on him?

She took a deep breath, preparing to change the subject. "Aren't you going to eat breakfast?"

"I don't eat breakfast," Tristan explained, "I'm more of a coffee person."

"But not eating breakfast is horrible because, think about it," Aiko began, repeating the same sermon her parents used to give her, "your body goes from dinner at 6, 9 o'clock if you decide to eat something light before bed, until noon of the next day, and that's only if you eat lunch. That's more than 12 hours that your body lasts without food, meaning that it's been more than 12 hours since your brain has gotten protein and sugars. This causes fatigue and general problems throughout the day. It's better to eat a big breakfast and less at dinner than nothing in the morning."

"Umm…" Tristan said, raising an eyebrow, "Thanks for the mini lesson."  
Aiko looked down at the table, embarrassed. _How is it that I always end up embarrassed around him?_ she thought. Why did she care what he thought about her?

The waitress brought them their drinks, smiling flirtatiously at Tristan.

"I think I'll have an omelet as well, only with ham and mushrooms, please," Tristan said, seeming to ignore the meaning behind her smile.

"Coming right up," said the undeterred waitress.

"So," Tristan began, "Why do you think I'm lying?"

"Uh…" Aiko said, remember the previously mentioned topic, "It's just that… a friend told me that… you actually live in Yokohama…"

"That's in a completely different direction from Atsugi," Tristan said nonchalantly.

Aiko looked down, unable to look him in the eyes. "You didn't have to do that for me," she said, amazed that he really was that kind. "There… was no reason for you to have to do that. I… could have easily gone home by myself."

"I know that I didn't have to take you," he explained, "but I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if something happened to you, like something almost did." Aiko blushed at his explanation, unsure what to make of it. "I'm not the kind of person," he continued, "who can just… sit back and not worry about what might happen. My mother says that it's my strong sense of justice, something that she also says must have been strengthened in a past life…"

Aiko glanced up at him and saw him looking out the window ponderously. She cocked her head a little to her right, a habit that she had when she was seriously thinking about something.

"Well…" she began, not knowing where she was going with this, "Umm… is… that why… you also decided to study martial arts?"

Tristan seemed to wake up from a dream, looked at her for a few dazed seconds, looked back out the window and responded. "I suppose, sub-consciously, that must have also been a reason. What I am sure of," he added, "is that I do not like feeling weak. I want power, but I want to use it to help others, those who may find themselves being weak, not for my own benefit…"

She found herself staring at him, unable to stop herself. She simply looked at his profile, illuminated by the morning light as he gazed out of the window. No matter how hard she tried, she could not look away. She knew in that moment that she did like him, probably more than just like, and that she never wanted to leave his side. Just staring at him like that… did something to her… It made her feel… as light as air.

When he felt her staring at him he turned, catching her gaze, and held it. She simply smiled at him, a smile so unknowingly and innocently filled with love that he was blown away. Her smiled filled him up with so much warmth, so much… _love_ that it almost felt as if his soul had now been liberated or saved from some unknown force. He wanted nothing more than to kiss the top of her head, holding her close to him, and never letting go. He wanted to keep her close, making sure that nothing ever tainted her perfect smile.

They remained like this even after the waitress had reached their table with their orders. She dropped the plates on the table so that they would make a loud noise, clearly disappointed and wanting to ruin the moment. Aiko and Tristan both blinked, looking at the waitress as if she were some kind of alien.

"Oh," Tristan said, sounding startled, "Umm… Thank you."

The waitress just rolled her eyes and walked away, swaying her hips more than usual as if to say _this is what you're missing out on_.

"Haha," Aiko laughed, trying to brush off the moment while her cheeks turned red. "So, um…."

"Itadakimasu," Tristan said, picking up his fork and knife.

"Haha, yeah," Aiko said, feeling stupid, "Itadakimasu."

They ate in silence, reflecting on their second, although much more strange encounter. Both had no idea what was going on nor could they explain why this was making them feel happy to the point of ecstasy. They would both let their eyes roam the café aimlessly, but occasionally their eyes would meet, in which case they both quickly looked away, turning slightly pink.

They looked so much like a couple completely in love, but unable to express their feelings, that the people in the café had to chuckle, hoping Tristan had the courage to be the first to admit it. They had become the entertainment for those in the café. At one point a little girl about the age of eight came up to their table.

"Um, Mister?" the girl said tentatively. At this Tristan looked at her replying "Yes?"

"Umm…" the little girl said, unable to keep a straight face. "My older sister… wanted me to tell you…" too embarrassed, the little girl motioned for him to get closer. He leaned closer to her and she whispered something in his ear. He immediately blanched, then just as quickly began turning red.

The little girl giggled, glanced at Aiko, and scampered back to her table.

All Aiko could do was cock her head to the right and look at Tristan with a puzzled expression. He glanced at her, shook his head, and downed the rest of his espresso. She finished the rest of her juice and began looking out the window, resting her head on her hand. Tristan motioned for the waitress to bring the check, still thinking about what that little girl had said.

He had to get out. The thoughts of those around him, although he could not hear them, were suffocating him, creating an unbearable pressure that he just had to escape from.

Aiko sat there, daydreaming about nothing and everything, humming one of her favorite bossa nova songs, Fico Assim Sem Você. The further she got in the song, the louder her humming got. Tristan looked out the window, allowing his mind to wander with the song that Aiko hummed.

The waitress set the receipt on the table and walked away quickly, her amiable manner from before completely gone.

Aiko stopped humming and picked up the check. Tristan felt the indignant glares of those in the coffee shop. He cringed.

"Don't worry," he told Aiko, taking the check from her hands, "I'll pay."

"W-what?" Aiko asked incredulously, grabbing for cash from her purse.

"I can't possibly let you do that!"

"After this morning, I think it's my due," he said quickly digging into his wallet.

"But, last night!" she said, putting enough cash on the table to pay for the bill, "After last night I think I should be the one in dept!"

Someone a few tables away chuckled, while a much more perverted snicker was heard from a little further. Tristan ignored them while Aiko did her best to hide her blush. Tristan gave Aiko her money, slapping enough money down for the waitress to have just about a 15% tip, got up and grabbed Aiko by the wrist, and began walking towards the exit, all while grinding his teeth.

Aiko scrambled for her purse and quickly followed Tristan.

All Tristan could think of was what that little girl had whispered to him:  
_If you don´t tell her now, you´ll lose her to someone else, and that´s the greatest regret one can have._

_Don´t let her go._


	3. Chapter 3

I am VERY sorry for taking this long to post it! Gomen ne!  
Please R&R! Enjoy!**  
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass blah blah blah...**

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Tristan seemed to be walking around aimlessly, leading her more than a block away from the café. Aiko had trouble keeping up at first, but Tristan seemed to calm down and began to walk at a much slower pace. She could not stop blushing, wanting to point out to Tristan that he still held her wrist, but unable to do so since he looked so deep in thought. She eventually decided to just enjoy the wonderful early afternoon atmosphere surrounding her. She noted that Tristan was completely lost in his thoughts, so she gently led him to her favorite place that was about a 10 minute's walk from their current position. It was a very picturesque place that she loved and also happened to be on the way to the library.

Tristan just couldn't get over the fact that what that little girl told him had struck home. Never in his life had he reacted that way to what anyone had told him. He usually took everything with a grain of salt and stayed calm even if they were in his face and yelling at him. Whenever he finally stopped spacing out, he found himself walking around a fountain. There was nothing especially remarkable about that fountain; it simply had a somewhat decorative spout that went no higher than a few feet. However the gentle sound of the water moving seemed very relaxing.

_Wait… where am I?_ he thought. He hadn't ever been to that fountain so he couldn't even begin to know where it was and how to get there. He then felt his hand in Aiko's, not sure when their hands got like that. She lightly swung their arms as they walked around the fountain, softly humming an unknown tune. She looked very happy thinking about whatever she was thinking about. Oh how he wished he knew.

"Um… Where are we?" he asked her, letting go of her hand as soon as she turned to look at him.

"Oh, well," she began, not seeming embarrassed at all, "You totally spaced out. So instead of bringing you out of your reverie, I just led us here. It's one of my favorite places." She pointed to a bench a few meters from the fountain, surrounded by a couple of trees. "Every time I feel bad or just have to think, I sit in that bench."

She began to walk towards the bench while Tristan just stood there, still attempting to get used to her sudden change. Although she hadn't been formal to begin with, she was acting friendlier, almost like she would act if she were with her friends. She looked back, cocking her head, asking him if he was coming. He followed, simply deciding to not think and go with whatever happened, another action that he was not used to doing. However, he figured that since he had never done any of this, and that quite frankly worrying and wondering would not help the situation, he would simply follow her lead.

They got to the bench and sat down, looking at the fountain surrounded by different people, each with their own sets of joys and problems and a story to tell. She smiled. She was glad that she had brought them there, to her place, her refuge. She had been incredibly nervous, especially when she began to think about her conversation with Eirian the night before. However, after they had reached the fountain and she went into her own reverie, she realized that he was also just human with his own built up walls. That his façade, his "I don't care, I'm better than everyone" behavior, was simply that, a wall that he built around himself to protect himself from others, or for whatever other reason he may have.

She came to the conclusion that he was acting human, and that her self-consciousness and nervousness was the beginning of her putting up another wall around her since she did not know how to respond to Tristan's. So instead of putting up, and leaving up, her own walls, she wanted to break them down, both hers and his. She didn't want to be afraid of letting people in, because she was human, and needed that interaction. Yes, she found him attractive, but so did most of the girls at school. That was something that she would never understand, why on earth girls tend to find jerks attractive…

Tristan stared at Aiko, observing her as she was absorbed by her own thoughts. She seemed very tranquil, as if she had finally decided something, looking up at the sky as if she thanked God for helping her decide. The wind gently tugged at her loose chocolate tendrils, the sunlight illuminated her face. With the fountain there, she looked like she could have been part of a painting. He couldn't help but stare, attempting to read her thoughts through her face. Her face suddenly crumpled, as if she were thinking of something that was puzzling her. He saw her struggle with another thought, or another decision, until she finally made up her mind.

"Did…" she began, pausing. "Did you… Have you ever had a weird dream?"

Tristan hesitated, not expecting the question. "I usually don't remember my dreams, so I can't really tell you if I have… Why?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Aiko said laughing, "I just had a really confusing dream last night, although I can't quite remember what happened…"

There was an awkward silence. She bobbed her head and moved her leg to a nonexistent song. Tristan simply stared at her.

"Why?" Tristan said, looking at her inquisitively. "Why did you suddenly change?" he said, unable to keep himself from asking. "You're… acting like you would whenever you're around your friends even though it's… me."

Aiko turned to look at him, completely caught off guard. "It's just that…" She quickly looked back at the fountain, beginning to turn a light pink. _You just told yourself that you would break down those walls!_ she scolded herself. _That requires honesty! _Aiko looked down at the ground, allowing her hair to cover her face. "I… I've decided not to put up any walls around myself…" she said in a barely audible whisper.

"Walls?" Tristan asked, unsure if he heard her correctly. He wasn't quite sure what she meant.

"Well…" she said, unable to keep from hesitating, embarrassed that the topic had changed to this. "It's just that I've noticed that… yeah, a lot of people don't like you and may even hate you… but they don't know you. I don't know you. So I can't just treat you by my assumptions, especially after yesterday." She paused, seemingly collecting her thoughts. "I was very confused yesterday. You always act aloof and uncaring, cold. But… That's all just a mask that you hide behind, like I hide behind my friends and deny whatever feelings I may have for anyone, whether they are good or bad, and how I hide in my innocent and kind act. I suppose that I've realized that we both wear masks, masks of opposite colors that essentially accomplish the same goal: they separate our true selves from everyone else."

Tristan simply stared at her, allowing her words to make their way to his brain where, he realized, he could no longer ignore the walls and blocks that she was mentioning. He very quickly regretted asking, although more than anything, he was pleased that she felt able to speak this freely with him, even if she felt somewhat uncomfortable, especially when she could have simply changed the subject, feigned innocence, or lied.

"So I've decided that I'm going to break down my walls because it's just stupid for me to feel that I have to have them up to begin with. And honesty is the beginning of that breakdown, followed by truly acting like myself, not necessarily as I'm expected to."

Tristan turned towards the fountain, thinking about what she had said. He sat there, thinking for quite a while as she became more uncomfortable. When he turned to look at her, he found her staring at him apprehensively. He smiled and got up.

"We better start working on our project," he said, stretching. He glanced at his watch. "It's already 1:30." He gave her his back, looking at a pair of birds fly around the sky. "And the project that we have is a very long and time consuming one, so the sooner we start, the sooner we see what we'll harvest."

Aiko stared at his back, feeling that his words applied to more than just their assignment for Liberation Day. She wasn't quite sure how to react. She had been honest with him, yet he didn't outright say anything about it. However, he hadn't actually rejected her words and ideas.

He looked back at her and offered her his hand. She took it and got up, completely confused, but just going with it. Tristan didn't let go of her hand.

"To start off our project, I believe we must start from the beginning," he began. "I'm Tristan Parker, nice to meet you."

Aiko blinked up at him and then broke into a grin. "I'm Aiko Young. It's a pleasure to meet you." They shook hands, smiling at each other.

"And so a most beautiful friendship begins!" Aiko declared, catching Tristan off guard. She began walking towards the library, feeling lighter than air. Tristan followed her, wondering where this girl would lead him.


	4. Chapter 4

**I am SOOO sorry for taking this long! Enjoy!  
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Code Geass blah blah blah.**

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They had both been so preoccupied with their own thoughts that the walk seemed to have taken seconds. As they climbed up the stairs into the library a winded teen not much older than them ran up to them.

"I..." he stopped, trying to catch his breath. He hunched over, resting his hands on his knees.

Aiko and Tristan glance at each other, confused as to what he wanted.

"Are you alright?" Tristan asked, searching his brain, wondering if he was perhaps acquainted with him.

He nodded without looking up and held Aiko's portfolio out.

"Oh!" Aiko exclaimed, running down the steps to retrieve her forgotten supplies. "Thank you very much!" she exclaimed, bowing. Tristan smiled fleetingly at her Japanese mannerism.

"It's no problem," he responded, straightening himself. "I had walked into the café as you left. One of the waitresses told me that it was yours." He looked up, almost shyly. "I figured that the both of you were working on that project we just got and that you might need this, so..."

"Umm... You're Gao, aren't you?" she tentatively asked.

"Y-yes," he answered, clearly surprised that she knew his name. She smiled and he very gladly, although awkwardly, returned it.

Tristan began to fidget, disliking the way that Gao was looking at Aiko. _Now you're being ridiculous,_ he reprimanded himself. _Anyone would be flattered to have their name remembered, especially by someone like her._ Aiko was beautiful in an almost ethereal way, although it was an unconventional beauty. She was neither tall nor short and her dark chocolate colored hair was cut in long layers, a few inches past her shoulder.

"Thank you very much, Gao," Aiko repeated, holding her portfolio to her bosom. "I would have had to run back myself for it." She laughed.

Gao laughed as well and Tristan looked away. He disliked that Gao found so much pleasure in hearing her laugh, because in that smile lay her beauty. She could make anyone comfortable and although her brown eyes were almost black, they were never cold. Those eyes, those deep pools of life twinkled with such... he didn't even know what to call it. What ever it was, it showed every time she laughed and smiled. That laugh of hers... That smile of hers, that seemed able to save his very soul.

"... not so bad. You two are the smartest of our school. If any one can do it, I know _you_ can. Good luck on your project!" Gao said, waving as he left.

Aiko smiled and waved at him until he was out of sight. She sighed. "I'm so glad! I can't believe that I completely forgot about this!" She laughed awkwardly. _Way to make yourself look like an idiot!_ she thought. She grimaced inwardly and prepared for Tristan's remark.

He stayed silent, looking off in the general direction of Gao's departure. She bent her head back, looking up at Tristan. Aiko was four steps below him, meaning that she only reached his elbows and since she was only used to being a head shorter than him, she disliked looking up like that. "Tristan?" She made her way up the steps, stopping a few steps above Tristan so that she could be at his eye level.

Tristan slowly blinked and then looked at her, slightly startled to find her questioning eyes so close to his face.

"Are you okay?" she asked, wondering if he was perhaps sick. His pupils were hard to see in his almost navy eyes so she couldn't tell if he was.

"I'm.. fine," he answered her. "We should go inside. We have a project to work on." She jumped, agreeing and babbling about how she had forgotten. He smiled at her back.

Tristan followed Aiko to the second floor of the library. They quickly situated themselves at a table in a corner adjacent to the section dedicated to Lelouch. There were so many books about him that there were five completely filled bookshelves. The books on the shelves went from cold, hard history to art and music inspired by the actions of the revolutionary.

Without needing to say anything to each other, they each made their way to the books that were simply facts about his life, showing little, if any, bias for or against Lelouch. Aiko sat down with two books in her arms and spread out a few blank pieces of computer paper. She began making a rough timeline of Lelouch's life, from birth to death. Tristan interjected a few note-worthy dates for her to add as he skimmed through the books that he had picked up. While she searched for the biography of Lelouch Tristan looked for newspaper articles and essays that showed the goings on of the infamous man from a different perspective.

Each were so engrossed in their tasks that time passed them by without being much noticed. It wasn't until Aiko almost finished the final draft of the timeline that Tristan got up and stretched, yawning. He sat down and leaned back as he closed his eyes.

"Are you already sleepy?" Aiko asked, teasingly. "How old are you, one?"

Tristan raised his eyebrows. "One? Why one? Don't people usually say someone of a much older age?"

"Well," she began as she set down her pen, "the older people get, the less sleep they need, so in order for me to truly prove my point I need to compare you to a one-year-old because they sleep about 18 hours a day, whereas an older person needs only 5 or 6."

Tristan chuckled. "I find no flaw in your argument," he said as he got up to get more books.

"I win," Aiko said matter-of-factly, continuing her timeline.

Tristan listened to the sound of her pen against the paper as he looked for books that concentrated more on the various opinions of Lelouch's actions. When he sat back down, Aiko stretched and yawned. He simply smiled, deciding not to comment. Even though they were going through so much information he had never been more relaxed. He wished that he could stay in that quiet, peaceful moment for as long as possible.

There was a _thump_ as Aiko closed her books. She sighed, getting up to search for more books. Stretching, she skimmed through the titles, hoping to find something that would catch her eye. _Tristan is working on... wait_, she thought. _What is he working on?_ She quickly went over to him, looking over the table at his open books. He glanced up, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"Oh, haha," she explained, "I was checking what you were looking at so that I wouldn't start on the same thing. That way we get more done!" She smiled at him. Tristan wanted nothing more that to steal a kiss as her eyes were closed, but he suppressed it.

"Well then," he replied, sitting back and distancing himself from temptation, "why don't you start coming up with questions to ask Ms. Kouzuki, and possibly the Viceroy. Hmm... I suppose it would be more accurate to call her 'ambassador' instead of 'viceroy'." He tapped his pen on the paper in front of him.

"Yessir!" she said, saluting him. He laughed and she smiled. She loved making him smile and, most especially, laugh. It made her happy to know that she knew a side to him that most others didn't even imagine.

They looked at each other for a few minutes until they realized that they were staring. They both looked away, blushing slightly . Aiko sat and began writing down the questions, but she was too distracted. She found that she kept glancing up at Tristan, admiring his raven hair and the way that the simple gray shirt complimented his complexion.

She sighed again, wondering when she would start truly being honest with herself. She liked him and that was that. In fact she might even- she didn't want to think about it. How could she even think that when she had only just started talking to him. It hadn't even been two days! Aiko shook her head. She wouldn't say that she loved him. She wouldn't let herself contemplate the thought of him, or herself, being with anyone else. For the time being she would simply enjoy the butterflies that she got every time she realized that he was next to her. Aiko smiled to herself and continued working.

Tristan glanced up and saw her smiling. He stared at her, wondering what would make her smile like that. What he would give to get inside her head for a few moments. How he hoped that she wasn't thinking of someone. Unless, of course, she was thinking of him. He smiled softly. Up until last night he hadn't really believed in love. If he had then he had thought of it as something imagined and fleeting. Now, he hoped with every fiber of his being that he was wrong. He wanted this to be real and he wanted this to never end. At the very least, he wanted her to be the exception. _His_ exception, no one else's.

His phone vibrated loudly against the table, startling both. He flipped it open as Aiko watched. He sighed and closed it. He looked up to find Aiko looking at him curiously. He smiled.

"You're so curious. Like a cat."

"Wasn't that a text?" she asked, not commenting on his remark.

"Yes, it was," he answered her patiently.

"It wasn't important?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. She looked adorable. It took all of Tristan's will power not to reach out and touch her.

"No," he said, purposely not giving her more than what she asked.

She was silent for a few seconds, debating whether or not she should press the matter further. They had done quite a bit of work. She thought they deserved a break.

"Who was it from?"

"Why do you want to know?" Tristan asked, lifting his eyebrow cockily.

She wanted to smack him for being so cocky, but she also wanted to kiss him for being so confident in... in what? She wasn't going to let herself think about that, either.

"Well it'd suck if it were from your girlfriend," she said, almost positive that he didn't have one. "You can answer it. I don't mind." He stared at her silently, almost as if he were waiting. "... I can leave if that would make it easier for you," she added.

Tristan shook his head, looking somewhat disappointed. He had been hoping that she would slip up and tell him what she thought about him.

"I don't have a girlfriend," he responded, "but it was from a girl." He waited for her response but she didn't react. He continued. "She told me that she likes me a while back but I told her that I couldn't return her feelings." He shrugged. "She told me that she would keep trying, though. How bothersome."

"Why is that bothersome?" Aiko asked, confused. She was not going to allow herself to acknowledge the reason for her stomach churning.

"Because," he responded matter-of-factly, "I think that there are better things to spend my time on, like studying and practicing martial arts."

"Ha. Haha. AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Aiko couldn't contain her laughter. That seemed like something Tristan would do and she couldn't help but picture the poor girl as he explained his reasoning to her. She was so relieved.

"Are you laughing at me?" Tristan asked, incredulous. "Why are you laughing at me? I didn't say anything funny." Aiko simply laughed harder.

"A-hem," Aiko cleared her throat. "'Just because a girl is cute and likes me,'" she said in an awful imitation of Tristan, "'doesn't mean I have to answer her feelings when she asks me out.'" Aiko laughed some more, wiping her eyes.

"Why is that so funny?" he asked, completely lost.

"Well," Aiko said, trying to maintain a straight face, "I just… imagined… a girl confessing to you… and then you looking in her eyes… and trying to explain why you won't return her feelings from a logical standpoint." She giggled. "'Well, you see'," she continued her earlier impersonation, "'I'm flattered; but quite frankly, I don't think much of you. I don't even know you. You should be studying instead of wasting your time on such frivolous matters'." She giggled, getting dangerously close to laughing like an idiot again.

"But…" Tristan said, still confused, "How's that funny? It's simply what I see as the truth. I don't believe that the opposite sex should distract someone from their studies, especially at this age. At this age we don't really know love, much less understand it."

"What?" Aiko said, abashed. "I don't believe that. I will say that knowing the differences between loves* at this age is hard, but I wouldn't say that it's unknown."

"It's because of this very confusion on the term that I say that at this age we don't know it. When 'infatuation' and 'lust' are confused for love, it ruins what love is."

"I don't disagree there. That's the reason why so many people are jaded and bitter about it. However, it's completely possible to know the difference at this age. Hard, but possible."

"Please," Tristan rolled his eyes, "With the raging hormones at this age 'like' almost entirely equals 'lust' and 'want', although these aren't always associated with sex."

"Pfft," Aiko scoffed, "What about when you've personally liked someone? You understand that it's just 'like' and don't confuse it. I'm sure that you, being all about logic, haven't liked girls simply because of their appearance."

Tristan looked down at the book he had in his lap, continuing his research, wanting to just return to the project. The sooner this was done, the sooner he could take a nap.

"You _have_ liked someone before, right?" Aiko asked suspiciously.

"That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that we're too young to know love, truly, and so until we actually feel real love we-"

"'Real love'?" Aiko asked, raising her eyebrows. "How are we too young to love truly? Don't you truly start loving from birth? And if we don't know it then how will we know that it's-"

"I mean a more… sexual love where-"

"So 'love' is sexual?"

"- where two people who accept each other as they are and are essentially best friends take the next step. Since sex finishes up the last level of love, in a sense, it is. When I say 'sex' I mean as a whole, not simply the physical. Love is simply something that will slap you in the face one day, letting you know very clearly that it is what it is. This takes time, so the chances of it happening at this age are infinitesimal." He finished his sentence, looking at Aiko as if to say _thanks for letting me finish_. He waited for her answer, wondering how she would react to his thoughts.

"That word's not fair," Aiko grumbled. "It implies that it's not real… It's rare to find kids in our generation who understand and believe in the importance of the three loves* and the differentiation of love in general. It's a word that's used too much nowadays. Besides, that's a very idealistic way of looking at a relationship."

"Unfortunately that misconception leads to the fleeting word that 'marriage' has become. And how is that idealistic? That is simply what it is _supposed_ to be, regardless if that's the reality of it," Tristan said. He sat back in his chair and stretched, yawning.

"Excuse me for boring you," Aiko teasingly said while rolling her eyes. "W-"

"I think we should call it a day," Tristan said, yawning again and looking at his watch, "We've done more work on the first day than any of our classmates will have done by Wednesday. Besides, it's starting to get late." He began closing books and arranging the papers by subject.

Aiko simply blinked. She looked at the digital clock on the wall. "It's already 8:45?" she said a little too loudly.

"Why do you think I'm so tired?" Tristan answered, amused. "8 hours at the library working pretty much nonstop is pretty exhausting." He chuckled. "You don't seem the least bit tired, though."

"Heh heh…" Aiko laughed awkwardly. She quickly began packing all of her papers into her organizer. She was glad that she loved the huge expandable ones that lasted years. She could have fit a normal sized book in there comfortably along with all of the papers. "Hey," she called to Tristan as he picked up the books, "Why don't we check out the most useful books in case we're not able to come back?"

"I don't see why we wouldn't be able to come back here, but I see your point," he agreed. He looked through the books on the table and took one, writing the titles and ISBNs of the others. Aiko put up all but two of hers as well as taking another from the shelf. It was a book on art inspired by the deeds and life of Leleouch vi Britannia. Tristan followed her example and took a book off the shelf as well. His, however, was a philosophical and psychological analysis on the infamy of Lelouch and his very way of life.

Tristan took the five books, against Aiko's will, balancing them carefully in his arms. Aiko rolled her eyes, carrying her portfolio and her purse. She stole a book from his arms, running ahead of him so that he couldn't protest. He chuckled and followed her, catching up to her quickly.

They checked out the books and made their way down the library steps. Aiko turned to Tristan, bowing.

"I'm very sorry for keeping you this late," she said, remembering that he still had more than an hour train ride home. "Oh! We haven't eaten anything!" she added as both their stomachs grumbled almost simultaneously.

They laughed. She looked at him, embarrassed. He smiled at her.

"It's okay," he said, "I can pick something up on my way home."

"Won't your parents be mad?" she asked. It was at times like these that she was glad that her parents trusted her enough to leave her in Japan when they had to go to Italy for business for a year.

"My parent's are out of town this week. They left yesterday afternoon. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" she repeated, unsure.

"Yes," he smiled even more, "I'll be just fine. Let me walk you home, though."

"Alright," she answered him, mirroring his smile.

They walked next to each other, silently enjoying the other's night air was gentle and cool, rustling the leaves occasionally. Except for the occasional passerby, they had the street entirely to themselves. The shops turned into houses as they made their way towards Aiko's home.

The moonlight danced through the leaves of the trees. Aiko smiled. She felt like taking Tristan's arm and resting her head on his shoulder. She breathed in the night air, satisfying herself by simply allowing her mind to wander.

"You know," she said, stopping a few houses away from her home, "I could make dinner, that way you don't have to use any money. You could also stay in the guest bedroom of my house. That way you don't have to worry about the trains and walking so late at night." She glanced at him, giving him a warm smile.

"Dinner sounds great," he said carefully, "but I think I'd rather go home."

"Ah, come on!" she exclaimed, "My cooking wouldn't kill you. Sheesh..." She rolled her eyes and continued walking.

"It's not that, it's just that..." he trailed off. He hadn't lied to her that at their age "love" was a troublesome thing.

"The bedroom is on the opposite side of the house and both doors have locks on them. That bedroom also has it's own restroom," she added, understanding his dilemma. "However, I shall respect your decision."

"D... don't you care what your neighbors may think?" he asked tentatively. She was a girl living on her own. Others would obviously assume the worst.

"They all know me well enough," she said, resuming her way home, "and those that don't, well.. they don't count." She smiled again, opening the gate to her house.

"Goodnight," she told him, attempting not to show her disappointment. She hated sleeping there alone and Eirian slept over whenever she could, but that, unfortunately, wasn't as often as Aiko would like.

She turned, letting the gate gently close itself. Tristan watched as she walked up to her door. _Both decisions could lead to regret,_ he thought. He sighed. Sometimes logic didn't lead to the best choice. _But sometimes it does,_ he thought. He waved goodbye as she wished him a goodnight from the door.

*The different loves I'm talking about here are filial, eros, infatuation, etc.  
**The three loves I talk about here are the three Hebrew loves called _raya_ (companionship, "I see you for both your good and bad but I still want to be part of your life"), _ahava_ ("There's no where else I'd rather be"), and _dod_ (literally: the mingling of souls). Look 'em up! It's interesting stuff. If you're too lazy for that, PM me and I shall elaborate. :)

**

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Author's notes: I am SOOOOOO sorry for taking so long! I lost my flash drive, then I got writer's block, then life happened, etc. etc. If it makes y'all feel better, I've started on chapter 5 already (Oh geez, there goes my Texan...). . Remember kids, get an external hard drive! They help a lot. If not, at least have a back up of your documents online. Google has this nifty feature called Google Documents that works just like Microsoft Word, except it's free! Woot!  
Please remember to review and critique! Thank you all for reading and putting up with me! *bows***


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own Code Geass blah blah blah. Sorry for the wait, I blame my now dead computer. RIP  
Please remember to review and comment. Constructive criticisms as well as suggestions are always welcome. **

* * *

She leaned her back against the door, sighing. She knew it wasn't proper of her to ask him over, especially because she liked him since the chance of something happening was more likely. She shook her head, tossing her shoes by the entryway.

She made her way into her kitchen, turning on the lights as her stomach grumbled its impatience. She could make some bulgogi1, she thought to herself. She had all of the ingredients and it didn't take long to make. She brought them all out, arranging them in the order that she was going to mix them.

She began to pestle the sesame seeds, letting her mind wander and finally rest on a song* that just happened to fit with her emotions.

She couldn't help but think about what she would have done had he accepted her request. Although she was disappointed, by no means had she thought that he would comply. No (decent) person would say 'yes'. Still, she found her maiden's heart pining for that very situation.

She would have loved to cook for him... They would have ended up talking about the project, then perhaps their goals and dreams, anything just so that she could stay up and be with him. She might have ended up falling asleep while they were talking, but, perhaps, if she was lucky, he'd end up falling asleep, giving her the freedom to stare at him without feeling embarrassed.

She smiled into the mortar. How silly of her to feel this way for him so quickly. Her smile widened as she recalled Tristan's explanation of love at their age. She wouldn't allow herself to fall into that trap, but that didn't mean that she couldn't enjoy being a teenage girl.

She looked down at the sesame seeds. She'd been grinding them for about fifteen minutes2, but most of the seeds were still completely whole. She made a face at the mortar, almost as if scolding it for not grinding the seeds well enough. _I'm going insane,_ she thought. _I'm getting angry at my tools for not working themselves._

As she began to laugh, the doorbell rang, making her jump. Aiko quickly went over to her door, opening it a crack.

"Hello?" she asked tentatively.

"What on earth would you have done if I had been a rapist?" Tristan responded, opening the door and letting himself in to further accentuate his point.

Aiko stood there, blinking in shock. She continued to stare at Tristan as he removed his shoes and neatly placed them next to her shoe (the other had bounced further down the entryway).

_B-but..._ she thought, completely thrown for a loop. _I have to be dreaming..._

He turned towards her, straightening up. "Have you eaten yet? ... Is your offer no longer available?" he added, seeing her look of disbelief.

She kept staring, wide-eyed and silent.

"I'm terribly sorry," Tristan began, embarrassed.

He silently cursed himself for coming back. He knew that this would happen, but he hadn't been able to refuse her. He had gone and bought himself the cheapest sleepwear he could find, along with other sleep over essentials, and had come right back.

_Maybe I turned on the stove and I just don't remember._ Aiko glanced over at the kitchen. _That must be it: a gas leak._

"... I can still catch the train. Again, I am really sorry, I just assumed that you still wanted me to spend the night and-"

"What's in that bag?" Aiko interrupted him as she noticed it.

"Well, I ran over to a little store close by just as it was closing and bought a few things so that I could spend the night..." He looked away as he trailed off.

"Oh."

They stood there awkwardly, Aiko still standing by the door and Tristan further in the entryway. They stayed silent, looking everywhere except at each other.

"This..." Aiko began, flinching at the broken silence, "seems... oddly familar..."

He stared at her, confused. Realization crept into his face, along with a slight tinge of red. They both burst into laughter, a laughter that was made heartier by their relief.

With the tension broken, Aiko made her way to the kitchen (after having carefully locked her door). Tristan stood tentatively in place, unsure of what to do.

"You can grind the sesame seeds while I prepare everything else," Aiko said over her shoulder, going straight for the ginger.

Tristan walked towards the kitchen, hesitant from his lingering embarrassment.

" Umm..." he looked down at the pestle, feeling useless and incompetent. "You just want me to grind this?" he asked, turning to her.

"Yes, please," she said, not looking up from peeling the ginger. "Grind it until it almost becomes paste." She was very clearly in her cooking mode now that she had to feed someone else.

Tristan picked up the pestle, looked down at the mortar and the sesame seeds, then at the busy brunette. They were silent, the only sounds audible were her peeling and his grinding. He couldn't help but feel awkward. This whole situation was... unexpected to say the least. To top it off, the most cooking he had ever done was make himself a sandwich. _However,_ he thought, _this is... nice._ He was enjoying her company and slowly his awkwardness turned into something else... something quiet, yet loud, peaceful but... tense. Not liking where his thoughts were headed, he began busying himself with grinding the seeds, concentrating only on the texture of it.

After another fifteen minutes (that seemed to him to be ten hours) the seeds had started to look mushy. He looked up at Aiko, taken aback by her quick progress. She was already cutting the meat as rice cooked on the stove, at least he assumed the pot contained rice.

He scowled down at the seeds. He was only half way done. _I think..._ Tristan scowled some more. He made a mental note of improving his cooking skills, along with other domestic skills.**

Aiko stretched once she finished tenderizing the meat and glanced at Tristan, wondering how his grinding was going. She watched as he stopped grinding and stretched his arm, groaning. He sighed, quickly returned to the seeds. Aiko smiled mischievously, quietly going around the counter and towards the table where he sat. He was so concentrated that he didn't notice her kneeling a few feet away from him, staring at him.

"I think I'm done..." he stated, still grinding the seeds, unsure of his assessment.

"Yup, looks pretty good to me," Aiko responded, keeping her voice low enough so as not to alert him of how close she was to him.

He looked up, his eyes filled with something similar to a child-like pride, pleased that he had been able to help and hadn't kept her waiting.

Their eyes met, and Aiko was overwhelmed. _How... adorable._ She would have never in a million years have thought that she would describe _anything_ about Tristan as "child-like" or "adorable".

Tristan's feeling of accomplishment quickly turned to embarrassment as the look she gave him registered. He looked away, sheepishly handing her the sesame seed-filled mortar without looking at her. Not wanting to further embarrass him, Aiko fought against the sudden cuteness of the situation and composed herself, taking the mortar without a word.

He stared at her back as she began mixing the ingredients in a skillet, feeling foolish. He didn't really know what to make of the look that had been on her face. He had no idea what kind of a face he had made to catch her so off guard that she let her emotions show so obviously. _How embarrassing,_ he thought. He wasn't quite sure if he liked the feelings he saw on her face nor was he sure if he was okay with her having seen the ones on his.

_Why?_ a small voice in the back of his mind asked him. He furrowed his eyebrows, hanging an arm off the back of his chair. He wasn't quite sure, it just made him feel... strange... and that strangeness made him feel something else... _Fear,_ the voice responded,_ you're afraid because you showed a part of you that you didn't mean to. That is making you feel vulnerable and that scares you._

Tristan's eyes widened slightly. It made sense. He had never let anyone see him like that. He was always alone, not wanting people to see him when he wasn't composed. He took a deep breath, releasing it slowly so as not to alert Aiko to his inner turmoil. He must take a hold of himself, it wasn't like him to be so open, especially not this quickly.

_A lot of people don't like you and may even hate you… but they don't know you. I don't know you. _

His eyes softened as he suddenly remembered the words she had awkwardly told him.

_You always act aloof and uncaring, cold. But… That's all just a mask that you hide behind, like I hide behind my friends and deny whatever feelings I may have for anyone, whether they are good or bad._

He turned himself around, straddling the chair and resting his chin on the back of it. The corner of his lips turned up slightly as he continued to stare at Aiko.

She glanced at him over her shoulder. Deciding not to enquire about his current thoughts, she asked, "Could you please get me some plates?"

"I could," he responded without moving or showing any inclination to do so.

_We both wear masks, masks of opposite colors that essentially accomplish the same goal: they separate our true selves from everyone else._

That caught her off guard. _Is... he angry at me?_ she thought, frantically going through the day's events to see if she had done something to make him mad. She turned to look at him, tilting her head, thoroughly confused.

Tristan's smile widened. "I could get some plates as well as a couple of cups. I have all of the motor skills to do so," he clarified teasingly.

Aiko blinked, completely thrown for a loop. "... _May_ you please bring me some plates?" she tentatively asked, still digesting his comment.

"Sure," he answered, getting up and searching through the cupboards, smiling to himself when she couldn't see his face.

He set the plates next to the stove, not quite looking her in the face, wanting to let her wonder a bit more. He returned to the cupboards to retrieve cups for them. Tristan had never done something like this. He found it quite amusing.

Aiko served the food, placing the plates lightly on the table. Tristan placed the ice-filled cups next to the plates as she walked back to get the cutlery. Once the table was set, they sat looking at the meal awkwardly, not knowing how to continue.

_He _is_ trying to be friendlier..._ Aiko thought, referring to his earlier teasing. _Ugh! Why is this so awkward?_

"Dig in," she said, smiling at him. "Or not," she added, "digging into the food would be a waste of both dinner and my table."

They both laughed, relieved that the tension had lessened.

"You know," Aiko began, clearing her throat, "you have surprised me this entire evening... errr, night."

_Honesty is the beginning... _

"How so?" Tristan answered, wanting to hear her thoughts.

"Well, I didn't think you'd actually accept my offer," she began, going down her mental list, deciding that she wouldn't skip anything. "You actually had a moment where you weren't fully composed, and you joked around."

… _followed by truly acting like myself..._

"Well," he pensively replied, "as I was once told by a friend, I need to stop wearing the mask that I seem to always have on."

"What a wise friend this is," she nodded, her thumb and index finger on her chin. "I would like to speak to this person at some point in my life."

"You wouldn't like her," he said, taking a bite of his food. "Wow, this is actually really good."

"Why on earth do you sound so surprised?" Aiko's eyebrow rose, ignoring the former comment.

"I didn't expect it to be. Not that I think you're a bad cook," he amended, "I just don't think _I'm_ a good cook and, however slightly, I did help make this."

"You've done a fantastic job with dinner, so don't worry about it," Aiko lauded him. "Someday you shall make someone a very happy wife."

"I can see it now," Tristan said dreamily, "She comes home from work tired and cranky because the people at the office are just horrid!"

… _not as I'm expected to._

"And you, as the wonderful husband that you are, have dinner and a hot bath ready for her," Aiko continued, envisioning it. "She's overjoyed with how clean you have the house and is ravenous for the dinner you have lovingly made."

"I would send her off to the bath to relax first. Dinner is never appetizing when all tense."

"I find that I very much agree with you. She cannot have dinner before she bathes."

"Then, when she's done and thoroughly relaxed-"

"-she walks into the kitchen and sits down, finding that you have relaxing background music on-"

"-as well as her favorite dishes with a nice glass of wine. I await her in my cute little apron, ready to spoon feed her if she so wishes. I can have nothing less for my darling wife."

_It's stupid for me to feel that I have to have them up to begin with._

They paused, staring at each other. Both simultaneously burst into laughter.

_So I've decided that I'm going to break down my walls._

**

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Random notes:**  
1 Bulgogi is a Korean dish that can be made with chicken or beef. It's basically sweetened meat. It's actually pretty easy to make, especially if you've already had bulgogi. This is one of my favorite dishes since I grew up eating this (although I'm not Korean. haha). PM me if you'd like the recipe. :)  
2 Just so y'all know, if the sesame seeds are ground at home, as in you stick the sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle them yourself, it takes about 45 minutes to grind them correctly (depending on your strength, the amount of sesame seeds, and the size of the pestle/mortar. I'm not kidding.) meaning that Aiko is pretty far behind if she wants to go to bed by midnight.  
*The song, if anyone cares to know, is Goodnight and Go by Imogen Heap. If you haven't heard any of her stuff, you should check her out. Her music varies, so you may absolutely hate one song, but love another.  
**Here's a random little fact for all of you: the average 10 year old girl will have done more housework than her 18 year old brother (at least in the US, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is similar in other countries). Big surprise that he's not very skilled in the culinary/domestic arts. haha. There are also other aspects that relate to why he feels, and can be, so incompetent, but I'll save that information for a later date. ;)

**EXTRA NOTES:** I realized that the martial arts that Tristan talks about in chapter 1 (Kuttu Varisai and Varma Kalai) weren't explained. I'm too lazy to go back and re-upload the edited version of chapter 1 so I'll explain some of it here. It's too much to explain in a note, so Wikipedia them for more information (note that in wiki Varma Kalai is under Varma Ati) (note #2: it is not proper English to tell someone to "Wikipedia" something. Wikipedia is a website, not a verb... the same thing is happen to Google. haha). The reason that this particular style is best suited for Tristan is because it is considered to be a martial art of knowledge. Although it's not explained well in the article, Varma Kalai (Varma Ati) is taught to those who have pretty much mastered Kuttu Varisai and is a more focused and specialized way of fighting since it focuses more on the pressure points and sensitive spots of the body. Also, to get a better grasp of Kuttu Varisai, it is similar in style to Kung Fu, thus Aiko's comparison to it when she first saw Tristan fight.


	6. Chapter 6

**Code Geass is not mine. This is purely fan made because I like writing and Lelouch/Code Geass. :)

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**

Connor nonchalantly walked down the street. He thought it was ridiculous that he would be called here past midnight. Sure, it was a Saturday night and it wouldn't seem strange for a young man to be walking around since he could easily claim to be returning home from a plethora of perfectly legal and socially acceptable places. That was the easy part, but what if something happened? Fighting and hurting others was not his cup of tea and he liked it even less when he was the one getting hurt.

Anything could happen at this hour. It was a Saturday in a not-so-good neighborhood. There could be drunkards walking around or junkies or God knew what. This wasn't safe. If it wasn't safe for him then it was doubly so for her.

He ran a hand through his brown black hair. He couldn't help but worry. A girl walking around at this hour was in so much more danger. He sighed. Even for an intimidating person like Eirian Stadtfeld-Kouzuki. Anyone in their right mind who knew anything about her wouldn't do anything to her, but he still worried. It was incredibly irresponsible of her to choose this time of night. To make things worse she'd probably start complaining about how he was being slow and how it was dangerous at this time blah blah blah.

Sometimes he felt smothered by her. If it wasn't her it was _someone_. Connor laughed. He felt like a married man complaining about his wife and kids. His laughter was quickly replaced by shuddering. What a scary thought, being married to her. _God bless the poor fool who thinks he can handle her..._ He prayed that he wouldn't marry someone so troublesome.* He didn't care if women helped men become better people or if even the most strong-willed woman showed kindness to the man she loved, it was too much of a bother to have to put up with.* He laughed as he thought about the person he liked. _Men sure can be helpless..._ he thought, chuckling.

He arrived under the bridge (_A bridge? Seriously? This late and in such a shady place? _he thought, mentally making a list of things to go off on when he saw Eirian_)_ fifteen after. He found no sign of her. He leaned against the stone wall, shivering a bit as it chilled his back. It was at times like these that he was glad his mind wandered easily, otherwise the wait might have irritated him.

Eirian... it was because of her that he was here-not just because of the current moment, but because she was the one that introduced him to her mother and the Ambassador. Life, he was learning, was... interesting, to say the least. The more he had talked to Lady Kallen and Lady Nunnally the stranger they acted around him. He had no clue as to why, but they both grew to trust him and began asking him questions about the most random things. Now he found himself here, waiting to be taken to them in the dead of night in a shady neighborhood to meet someone that they thought he needed to get acquainted with. Sometimes he wished that he didn't know them, including Eirian. Even though it was exciting and cool to be able to say that he'd met them and actually talked to them in a less formal atmosphere, he disliked the expectations as well as the things he was sure to learn in the near future.

_There's nothing you can do about it so just suck it up, _he chided himself, _besides, now you're in a position to help others, right? _He didn't want to sound like a douche, but he wasn't really motivated to do more than what he was interested in. Swimming, he'd do that any time. Hiking, count him in. Hanging out with friends, absolutely. Being given responsibilities and having to be accountable to two important and key figures in one of history's greatest and most infamous moments, not so much. That was a lot of pressure for a junior who hadn't even turned 17 yet.

_BZZZZT BZZZ-BZZZZZZT_

He jumped, startled by the vibration of his phone. He answered, not bothering to look at it.  
"Sheesh! You're late! I thought you said we'd meet at midnight, and why on earth did you choose such a creepy place? Where are you?" He ran all of the questions together, not allowing any time for a response until he stopped for a breath.

His eyes widened as he got chewed out. "Hahaha..." he laughed nervously, "I thought you were Eirian and-..." He cringed away from the phone. "It wasn't my idea to meet-... Shinjuku... I know why it kept it's name... Yes, I know it's infamy... It's not too late and it's well lit -ish... As in it's not quite well lit but it's not completely da-... It would be good practice, right? Ahaha... I'm not making light of this, I'm just-..." Connor hung his head. He'd get Eirian back for this. It was her fault he was being shredded to pieces and spat on.

"Calm down," Connor said, flinching at the response given to him. The harshness of what he was being told was what was making him flinch, not the decibel level. Reality was funny that way. "Yes, I realize tha-No, I don't think this is a game I just have more faith in-... Well what about you, huh? You seem to be 'goofing off' and being 'irresponsible' a lot lately," he retaliated irritably, feeling cornered.  
The silence on the other end of the line let him know that his point had gotten through.

"See? There _is_ hope. I'm not being irresponsible. Not everyone is stuck in the past, especially our generation! I'm not even having to-" He sighed as he was verbally assaulted again. "You're being paranoid again. Not everyone-So are we to just-Yes, I know-They were-It was-They-But-..." Connor wasn't getting more than a word in and he was starting to get pissed off. "Yes, they are-Cousins, but-I'm closer-She's fine-Lady Nunnally-JESUS!" he yelled. "Would you let me _talk_ for a minute?... Don't make me us my-Dammit, Parker, you _will_ let me talk." Connor glared at the wall across from him, letting his words sink in. He hated being like this, but he wasn't being given any other choice.

"Both Lady Kouzuki and Lady Nunnally are already aware of the situation and are working accordingly. I talked to Eirian just the other day and-" Connor gave an exasperated sigh. This was going nowhere, fast. He listened quietly, hoping that this would placate the overly cautious watchdog on the line.

"I can trust her. Why? Why else? Look at who her parents are." Connor rolled his eyes. This nagging was getting tiresome. This wasn't even an argument with an unreasonable woman that he loved for some God forsaken reason. _If _this _was tiresome, then a wife would be..._ _a drag*, _he thought with a disappointment he hadn't thought he could muster over the topic. He slumped. He'd never marry. He rubbed his forehead and eyes, trying to soothe away the headache that had started creeping up on him.

"Well what about-" he narrowed his eyes. "Yes, that's exactly who I'm-How is that 'different'? You get angry at me for Eirian, an _obviously_ trustworthy person yet-" Connor's jaw dropped as his eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You mean you haven't-... but I thought... I mean you are staying at her... that's a huge deal for you so I assumed..." He was irritated and frustrated yet strangely relieved.

"Oh." It was the only sound he was able to utter. He stood there dumbly as it was explained to him. "But... wouldn't it be natural to-...?Isn't trust a huge-... You're right, but usually-..."

"Connor."

He blinked and turned, confused. Eirian stood in front of him, a questioning look on her face. He quietly answered her, mouthing as he distractedly listened to the nagging that had resumed.

"Oh," she answered quietly, nodding in empathy. Then her eyes flared with anger at a sudden thought and she grabbed Connor's cell, putting it up to her ear.

"Security is tight, although with how much you're talking about this everyone within a 20 meter radius of you already knows," she coldly quipped, interrupting the other's train of thought. "Don't be a smart a-Don't you dare interrupt me. I will mess you up, regardless of who you are."

She was quiet as she listened, her eyes steadily narrowing in irritation. "You are very correct in saying that." Her eyes had stopped narrowing and revealed her simmering anger, although the rest of her face gave nothing away. "You should know him by now... Either way, you were incredibly rude..." She colored. "That's not the point-... So two wrongs-How incredibly childish of-you keep interrupting me, you clearly don't want to talk to me, so good night." She hung up and gave the phone back to Connor.

"What an unreasonable human being," she huffed.

"First off, thank you," Connor laughed. "Secondly, it's not so much that he lacks reason as it is him being overly cautious and protective..."

"Excuses," Eirian said, dismissing the matter.

Connor sighed, something he had done quite a bit in the last 30 minutes. _She_ could be the most unreasonable and unruly person that _he_ knew.

"We better get going," Eirian said, looking around, searching the empty street. "It's late and dark and I've been getting nothing but information stating bad news around these parts." She began walking, Connor trudging behind her.

"Light on your feet," she commanded, "An elephant is quieter than you are. Do you want to give away our position? Don't waste all that training."

Connor rolled his eyes, smiling. They were both too cautious and too protective, but he appreciated them. Although they were both irritating, they made life a bit more fun and enjoyable.

The still night engulfed them in darkness, leaving behind no trace of their existence.

* * *

_***The first sentence is very much something that Nara Shikamaru from **__**Naruto**__** would say. I couldn't help but think of him whenever Connor thought "God bless the fool...", so of course I then decided to pay tribute to both him ("how troublesome" which is what he originally says in the Japanese version, replaced in the English version by "what a drag") and his father (in the second sentence with a *, which is a paraphrase of something that he tells Shikamaru). Just giving credit where it's due. ["**__**No matter how strong-minded a woman is, she will show kindness to the man she loves.**__**" *Nara Shikaku, Shikamaru's dad, from the anime **__**Naruto**__**] - I couldn't find the other quote that his father tells him, but here's Shikamaru's response to the paraphrased quote in the story: "**__**If women made you a better person, I wouldn't want to know what you were like before.**__**" :D**_


	7. Remembrance

_**Remembrance**_

_Aiko looked up, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Even with all the windows open her kitchen was like a furnace. It's why she hated cooking in the summer but she was too stubborn to stop cooking what she wanted to cook just because of the weather outside._

_She sighed, admitting to herself that she didn't have to bake right now, even if it was his birthday. _He prefers cheesecake anyway, _she told herself as she checked up on the cake. _

_Now that she knew, this was slightly strange. Acting like a girl seemed almost... wrong... emasculating. Of course that was ridiculous. She was female after all. There was only so much socialization that she could fight off. Besides, she enjoyed cooking for him, which was all that really mattered._

_She glanced at the clock. _He should be home in a little over an hour_, she thought, calculating how much time she had left. She brought the chocolate cake out, setting it on the counter to cool. It wasn't very thick, less than an inch, so it wouldn't take very long to cool. She brought out the cheesecake batter from the refrigerator. It would be hard to place, but at least it wouldn't melt as quickly._

_As she began pouring the mixture on top of the cake, she let her mind wander. It wasn't very often that she let him take over, but she did, especially when they were around people that he knew. She always felt bad if she didn't. Even though he refused to say so she knew that he appreciated it so she wouldn't demand a "thank you" from him. Besides, it was only fair since he had to put up with her._

_The chocolate cake/cheesecake hybrid was complete; all she needed was the finishing touch. She grabbed the graham cracker crumbs that she had prepared earlier and began placing them on the sides of her creation, making it look more like a cheesecake._

_She was almost done when she heard the door open. Crap, she thought, hurriedly finishing the cake off. She hadn't even showered yet. She crammed it into the refrigerator as her husband walked into the kitchen._

"_H-hey," she stammered, trying to calm down. She made her way over to him, blocking his view of the sink where the tell-tale signs of her project were. "You're home early."_

"_It_ is_ my birthday, he responded, a twinkle in his eye. That could only signify that he was in a playful mood, meaning she would be teased and messed with mercilessly._

"_Oh, of course," she smiled, leaning up to kiss him. She used her assault as a means to push him out of the kitchen and towards their bedroom. She was sure that he knew she was up to something, but that's all she would allow him to figure out._

"_Did you miss me that much?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow. _

"_Of course." She looked him in the eyes with what she hoped was a seductive expression. "You've been gone for two weeks. There would be something wrong with me if I _hadn't _missed you."_

_He laughed. There was no doubt in his mind that she had missed him, but he knew she was hiding something. He sat on the bed and stretched, groaning. His flight had been more than twelve hours* and his body was rebelling. _

_Aiko slouched. He knew her so well. She went over to the dresser to grab a change of clothes. She stopped, turning around._

"_Where are we going to eat?"_

_He had lay down and put an arm over his eyes. He looked up at her, seeing her upside down. _

"_Just put on that sundress you have."_

"_But it's so _old_! I bought a few things for the occasion-"_

"_-some of which shouldn't be worn out," he looked at her possessively. _

_Her face flushed. He made her feel like such a girl. … Which was also strange. She sometimes felt that their roles were reversed and that she should be the one in charge. It didn't matter. Not really._

"_Okay," she replied, turning away embarrassedly. _

_He chuckled. She was such an easy target sometimes. His eyes softened, a sadness filling him. "We're..." he began, hesitantly. "We're going to visit his grave... since I wasn't here for it."_

_Aiko stiffened. Her eyes began to feel watery. It had been fifteen years. Things were so much quieter now that it didn't seem like something like that happened. But it had. It was what had pushed her to do what she did. It was what made her realize who she actually was._

_She felt him wrap his arms around her. She dropped the clothes in her arms and instead held on to him for support. She began to cry. He buried his face in her neck and she knew that he was hurting, too._

_They stood there for what seemed like a lifetime, reliving everything. A wandering breeze made the wind chimes outside their window clink softly, accompanying Aiko's heart wrenching sobs._

_Time never truly healed the wounds that hurt the most._

* * *

*12 hours and 40 minutes is the average time for a flight from Tokyo to New York City although he wasn't actually in New York City since that doesn't exist in this universe. He simply traveled to just about that area.

**A/N: SORRY! I know, it's been forever. I'm incorrigable... On the bright side I now have access to a computer that I can upload stuff with! :D I'm going to get everything I've got so far out within a week or so since life seems to like to interfere... *sigh* I apologize for the inconsistant and long-to-come uploads. **

**Now that I've apologized, this is a time skip. All of the chapters with a name instead of Chapter # will be time skips. Why? Some scenes wouldn't show up in this story otherwise, like a "how this couple happened" one for the future. ;)  
It shall all make sense in due time. Hopefully. ALSO note that the genre has changed and might change again... This story has decided to completely change where it was going (or more like I finally listened and can now write because I know where this is headed! :D) This fic has definitely taken a turn towards the darker side (I'm sorry! I think they lured it with cookies...) so from now on I will have disclaimers at the top before each chapter. There are very, very dark scenes (mostly really cynical, but there are deaths/killings) in the very near future, although there are also really happy, fluffy ones so I'm not going to call this a dark fic (yet...).  
So... I think that's all I had to say. Thank you for sticking with this fan fic! I hope I don't disappoint. Prepare for this to start moving quite rapidly along with a lot of character introductions. Remember to review! It shows that you like what you read (or that you don't like it, which is just as well. I could use the constructive criticism).**


	8. Chapter 7

_Laughter filled the room. It was an undeniably joyous sound, so palpable that she could have swum through it. She saw a flash of blond hair and the bobbing of blue. _

_Light streamed in through tall windows. There was such a light-hearted air in the room that she wanted to cry._

_She missed this. Her soul cried out, yearned for these memories, these times that were so carefree, yet she had no idea where she was. The images were blurry and smudged, the sounds echoed as if from the back of a large, dank dungeon. Was that a man or a woman? Perhaps it was just a pink blob on the wall. Did she recognize that apologetically nervous laughter? Was it even laughter?_

_These were not her memories; they couldn't be. Something about this would have triggered some sort of reaction, right?_

_She heard a shrill squeak. A flustered apricot blur bounced around, followed by laughter. She then saw a dark blur come up to the… table, was it? The apricot smudge fell, no, sat, and laughter filled the room again. _

_She reached out her hand, filled with a powerful but muted sorrow._

_Touch… She had to touch, to embrace… What?_

Aiko blinked, awoken by the dim light that filtered in through her curtains. She sat up groggily, using the back of the couch for leverage. She wiped her eyes, sleepily looking around. Two mugs stood proudly in the middle of her otherwise empty coffee table. She shivered. Her back door was open, letting in the chill of early morning.

_What time is it? _she thought, slightly irritated.

As if to answer her unspoken question her clock struck five. She stared incredulously at the clock and then shifted her gaze to the backyard. She cursed herself mentally, blaming her strange dream for waking her up so early.

She heard the rustle of fabric and froze. She had completely forgotten that she wasn't here alone. She turned slowly, praying that she hadn't woken him up. She found him curled up on the floor next to the table. She smiled. Aiko couldn't remember what time they had fallen asleep. They had talked about their project and had then veered off into musical and cinematic tastes. Somewhere in there they had made coffee and had planned out the goals for the week.

She got up, wondering who had fallen asleep first. She grabbed the folded blanket from the back of the couch and walked quietly over to Tristan. She covered him with the blanket as gently as possible, trying not to wake him. Just as quietly, she went to the back door and slid it shut.

That evening was the most fun she had had in a while since she really hadn't been able to spend much time with Eirian and Connor.

Aiko lay back down on the couch, yawning. This was the beginning of something, she just knew it. Last night something had clicked for her. She wasn't quite sure what it was, though she knew that a decision had been made that would get fate rolling.

Closing her eyes, she let her hormone driven teenage thoughts take over, leading her to a place of silly, easy love and happiness.

_The room was dark. No, there was no room, just darkness. She could see herself, even though there was no source of light._

_**What is this?**__ She heard a voice say. __**Where am I?**_

_Aiko looked around, searching for the person who'd spoken. __**I believe **__we__** are some place in my psyche, **__she replied, still searching._

_**You're psyche?**__ the voice questioned, almost offended. __**What am I doing in your psyche? Is this what happens after death?**_

_Aiko blinked, startled. The voice sounded like her own but… different. At the very least she was able to recognize it as a part of her.__** Umm… I hope not…**__ she hesitantly answered. Aiko paused. __**Who are you? **__Since she had failed to find anyone, she had sat down. How that was possible in this nothingness she didn't know._

_**Why, I'm… I don't quite know, **__it answered thoughtfully.__** I believe that I might be you.**_

_**So you're my conscience?**_

_**No, I don't think I'd be a very good conscience.**_

_**Are you my id, then?**_

_**No, I'm not without morals or animalistic.**_

… _**Are you another personality that I've developed due to some traumatic experience that I've repressed?**_

… _**No…**_

_Aiko was confused. Perhaps this was just a weird dream that meant nothing… __**So what are you then?**_

_**I believe the question should be "who" I am, not "what" I am.**_

_**Okay, so who are you?**_

_A mirror appeared in front of her. She peered into it, seeing only her own reflection._

_**I get it, you're me,**__ she exasperatedly stated. This wasn't getting anywhere. She just wanted to wake up._

_**Look closely, **__the voice instructed. Aiko could almost feel its anticipation._

_**I already looked into it, the reflection is of my own face. What else am I supposed to see?**_

_There was a pensive pause._

_**You… we are only two of many,**__ the voice began.__** I… would like to see if perhaps… if I could perhaps be reminded of whom I am… or was.**_

_**What is **__that __**supposed to mean?**__ Aiko asked skeptically._

_**It means I, err… we are a part of you, even though you are not a part of us-**_

_**All I'm hearing is metaphysical nonsense,**__ she scoffed, peering back into the mirror and examining it._

_The voice laughed. __**Perhaps that is all it is.**_

_Aiko was about to put the mirror back down when she saw the image on its surface flicker. She stared at it intently, hoping that the other face might trigger more memories. It flickered once more and then she was violently pulled forward. _

_A sudden explosion of color blinded her. Oranges and reds filled her vision, the colors of a sunset. When she opened her eyes she saw a train station. The two people on the platform were familiar to her although she couldn't make out their features. A gunshot made her flinch. Her eyes widened._

_She knew this scene. She looked at the people and felt a flash of pain. She clenched her eyes shut, not wanting to see what was going to happen. It had already caused her plenty of pain; she didn't want to experience it again._

_She heard the beginning of a scream and then frantically covered her ears. She fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. __**Please,**__ she whispered, __**please don't. It won't do any good. It'll only hurt us both**__. She felt an electric current pass through her._

_**Stop it!**__ she pleaded, clenching her eyes harder, pressing her palms to her ears with all of her strength. She began to sob. __**You're not saving anyone! Stop being a martyr!**__ She was practically screaming now. __**I love-**_

_**I…**__ The voice began to laugh. __**Yes! I-**_

_**I've found you.**_

When he woke up he found her asleep on the couch. Tristan smiled when he noticed the blanket laying on him. He slowly got up, glancing at the clock on the wall. He mentally listed what needed to be done for the day. If he left now he could come back by one o'clock and they could get a late lunch on their way to the library. _Five hours is plenty of time to get everything done,_ he affirmed.

He searched for pen and paper, scribbling down his plan with his expected time back. Ending the note with his cell phone number, he placed it on the coffee table. Tristan turned and stared at Aiko. She was curled up almost into a ball, cuddling a pillow. The sight brought a smile to his lips. He had to admit that she could be rather cute.

He quietly made his way to the front door, slipped on his shoes, and quietly shut the door. He glanced at his watch as he made his way through her front yard and out of the gate. Seven o'clock; he** better** be awake by now.

Tristan dialed three and put his phone to his ear. If he didn't pick up, he'd get an earful when Tristan got to his house.

"Yes, this is Tristan. Is-I'm fine, thank you," he answered politely, despite being annoyed about the interruption. "Yes, I'm looking for him. … He's not? Haha, it sounds like him to leave his phone at home." Tristan wasn't in the slightest amused. "He's where- why's he there?"

He stopped mid-step, listening intently to the woman on the other end of the line. "Yes, thank you. Bye."

He glowered, scaring a few of the people at the train station. Tristan couldn't believe that he hadn't gone home last night. Tristan was supposed to be picking him up to meet with an uncle, a meeting that could drastically change their situation.

To say that he was livid was an understatement. At this point he didn't care if he was called an "overbearing nanny": he was going to put his charge on a short leash. It was entirely that woman's fault!

He glared some more, scaring a man out of his seat. Tristan moved closer to the exit, ignoring the frightened passenger. His phone vibrated and rang. He glanced at the number. He didn't recognize it. Composing himself, he answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, just wanted to let you know tha-"

"Woman!" Tristan roared, making quite a few passengers jump. "Do you realize that we have a meeting to go to? That we absolutely _cannot miss_?"

"Yes, which is why he's on his way right now! Sheesh," the girl on the line sighed. He was with me so you shouldn't worry so-"

"You're lucky that this is over the phone," he said in a deathly quiet voice. "I will speak to you **both** when I see you."

"Umm… W-we're meeting at the restaurant, right?" Her voice shook ever so slightly.

Tristan sighed, calming himself. "Eirian, we are supposed to meet outside of the station closest to Boundless." He closed his eyes, rubbing his temple. Those two made him feel fifty.

"Don't patronize me, you!" she retorted, becoming irritated with his constant nagging and worrying. "We'll be there on time. Just so you know-"

She stopped. As Tristan heard bickering on the other line, he got off of the train and made his way to the exit. He quickly made his way out, eyes narrowing. Just as he was about to hang up he heard a voice.

"Hey! Don't be angry. Things came up and we had to address them," the young man on Eirian's phone told him. "We have quite a few things to tell you before the meeting."

"You two are getting married? Congratulations," he said dryly. Tristan saw Eirian and Connor from across the street. He began trailing them.

"Aw, c'mon, don't be like that!" Connor half-whined. "You know I wouldn't make it past the vows if we were!"

Tristan remained quiet, getting within touching distance of them.

"Tristan?" Connor asked tentatively. "… I promise that this wasn't for some half-assed reason. We actually-"

Tristan grabbed hold of their arms, pulling them into an alleyway. He immediately threw Connor at a wall, simultaneously putting Eirian's arm behind her and shoving her face against the opposite wall. He hooked his right leg around hers and pulled back, causing her to fall.

Connor was still dazed, although he swung at Tristan. Tristan easily dodged and tripped Connor, focusing on Eirian again. Her right arm was trapped beneath her, leaving him to hold her left arm behind her back at an uncomfortable angle. He pressed his right knee on the small of her back for good measure and grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking upwards.

"You think _you_ can protect him?" he hissed in her ear. She took a sharp intake of breath, unable to focus her eyes on his face. "You were in broad _daylight_ with _witnesses_ and you couldn't manage to counter my assault." He narrowed his eyes in fury. "Do you think you could have protected him in _Shinjuku_? Past midnight?"

Connor got up, finally recognizing Tristan. "Hey," he anxiously said, attempting to get Tristan's attention, "We were only alone for five minutes. We were-"

"I attacked you both successfully in less than two," Tristan responded without taking his eyes off of Eirian. "I'd be gone with Connor before you could even regain your senses."

"Tristan," Connor warned.

"Your parents might be war heroes but _you_ are not," he kept on, pulling her head back more. She winced in pain, unable to breathe well. "They were trained soldiers, not _just pilots_."

"Parker, enough!" Connor exclaimed. "You've made your point."

Tristan paused before letting go of her hair. Her face landed on the cement violently. She felt blood ooze from her upper lip. He got up smoothly, brushing dirt off of his pants.

Eirian coughed, breathing deeply to regain her bearings. She was completely humiliated. She began to seethe, pushed herself up and glared at Tristan.

"_YOU_!" she spat, getting up quickly and standing to her full 5" 4'. "There was absolutely _no_ reason for you to do that!"

"You wouldn't have understood otherwise," he answered her nonchalantly.

"I'm a rational and logical human being!" she was raged.

"Yes, except you are full of pride, something that would have marred whatever logical and reasonable aspects there may be about you." He looked her squarely in the eyes, unrelenting.

"So you had to humiliate me to prove your point?"

"Yes."

"You're a fucking asshole." Her voice quivered with rage.

"And _you_ are a pilot. Not a soldier, not a guard. Without your gurren you're no better than a military nerd," he remarked, glaring at her. "Remember that." He walked off, crossing the street and heading towards the bookstore.

Eirian's eyes prickled, which made her angrier. She furiously wiped a tear away, glaring at the ground.

Connor searched his pocket for any sort of paper. His fingers finally fumbled upon a folded napkin. He handed it out to her, averting his gaze.

Erian stared at if for a while. She took it only after her tears became twin streams cascading down her face. She went back to glaring at the ground, biting her upper lip. Connor sighed and followed Tristan.

She couldn't believe the nerve of that guy. She still couldn't understand how she had once liked him. She had been young, eight years old, when her mother introduced her to Connor and his silent companion. Of course at that age she hadn't known any better nor had she known him. Still, that fact made her sick to her stomach.

She spit blood onto the ground, glaring at the mixing fluids. She couldn't stand him sometimes. She avoided him as much as possible to prevent situations like this from happening since they were liable to get into fist fights. She lost her temper easily, he didn't discriminate; it was a bad combination. She let out her breath in a mixture of a sigh and a growl. She only cared because they were both responsible with the care of Connor, 3rd in line and one of six who could succeed the throne should Charles Britannian's four remaining children die.

She scowled, quickly wincing at the pain it induced. She was _not_ getting paid enough to deal with him. Her anger was now simmering and she knew that Tristan had been right, even if his methods were questionable.

She sighed and made her way to the bookstore. Gears were beginning to turn; there was no time for personal disputes.

* * *

Whoa! I'm done! Woot! This was gonna have more, but since this is already crazy long I decided to mix the rest of this day (Sunday) with Monday. Woo! Onward with the next chapter!


	9. Catalysis

_She was numb. She lay on the cold tile letting her wounded cheek cool from the hit that woman had given her. Everything around her was a mesh of sound and images but she didn't care about any of it; the sobbing and talking, she only cared to pay attention to her thoughts and her cheek._

"_**I**__ am the scientist," the woman had said as she scornfully looked down at her. She couldn't remember her face; it had been blurry, perhaps due to her tear-filled eyes._

"_Are you alright?"_

"_Is she breathing?"_

_Had her name been Su? No, it was much longer than that. It was foreign. Not a Britannian foreign but a foreign that hinted at adventure and ancient secrets._

"_The poor girl, she was __**right there**__. She'll need more than just a paramedic."_

_Golden… something, she had said-no-translated._

"_**This**__," Golden had continued, pointing to the body with her gun, "is the catalyst."_

"_Thank God! The police have arrived!"_

_She hadn't been very "golden". She had been more of a shadow, a menacing, evil __**thing**__. A demon. For what cause? Did demons need a cause?_

"_Can you get up? Does anything hurt?"_

"_She was pistol-whipped, but that's all that happened."_

"_Do you know her?"_

_No, it was the first time she had ever seen that Golden Shadow. She was very much beautiful, though. That's how demons got people's souls. They are sinfully beautiful to lure their all too willing victims. Once in their grasp they squeeze the very soul out of them._

_Perhaps that demon was taking her soul, too. In fact, she was sure of it. What else could explain the sudden pressure she felt on her left side?_

"_Oh-! I-is she going to be alright? That's a lot of blood!"_

"_It's a head would, which are bleeders; now __**please step back.**__"_

_A sharp pain overwhelmed her cheek. Her mind burned with an angry crimson. She was dying, which was fine with her. It would suck for everyone that cared about her, but that was no longer her problem. She accepted her fate, as selfish as that might be. It was always harder to be left behind._

_There was a loud commotion with a lot of yelling. She was glad she wouldn't have to deal with this nonsense anymore. Humans were just a simmering brew of anger and hate that bitterly awaited for the pot to boil over. Racism? Sexism? Any and all prejudices were excuses for those vile creatures to exercise what little power they had._

"_Is she okay? Are you alright-"_

"_Where the fuck was the police when they were needed? How could they allow those sons of bitches to do this?"  
"Ma-am, please calm dow-"_

"_Don't you talk to me! To serve and protect __**my ass**__!"_

_How very true. Bureaucracy was troublesome that way but the masses needed to be governed and the governing needed to be watched._

"_How could this happen? I thought security was tightened?"_

"_We are very sorry milady, it seems there was a leak-"_

"_**Find it**__."_

_Nothing more than pawns, that's all people were._

"_Can you hear me?"_

_The voice was timidly soft, yet reassuring. The contrast of the voice with the surrounding chaos jostled her out of her stupor and she began to acknowledge the present situation._

"_I don't know why this happened…" Pause. A woman screamed and sobbed in the background. "I can't even begin to imagine how you feel."_

_Feel? Was this the act of feeling? All she felt were hands on her shoulders. Did that count? She tried to focus on the face before her._

"_Sadness, horror, rage-"_

_Rage? Hmm… perhaps that was what was boiling below her lack of emotion, her numbness._

"_You don't have to carry it alone."_

Liar, _she thought,_ we are all alone.

"_That's what friends are for, right?"_

_Was that a smile? Yes. It was a weak one, but a smile nonetheless. Smiling at a time like this?_

"_You are still alive even though-" A police officer ran by. The voice caught, and she saw tears glimmer. "… even though others aren't. That isn't your fault."_

"_Who are you trying to convince?" she replied, her voice cracking. She looked into mossy green eyes, seeing pain added to pain. Her eyes stung with tears. Emotions could be incredibly ugly._

"_W-what are you…? Why would you even say that?"_

_Her voice fled from her bruise colored thoughts as they began consuming her. Her eyes overflowed with tears but her face remained emotionless._

_That Golden Shadow had stood above her, staring at her with a sort of expectant pride._

"_**You**__, dear child," she had beamed, "shall be the reaction."_

* * *

I hope this isn't too insanely confusing... D:

I'm rushing, so I shall leave now. I just had to post these lest I be unable to do so for another two weeks. .


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